Black Hole
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- Date published:
8:16 am, April 11th, 2019 - 126 comments
Categories: class war, Deep stuff, energy -
Tags: black hole, simon bridges
The first image of a black hole has been released. It’s a composite built by the observations of 8 telescopes and confirms the existence of a massive Eye of Sauron in space.
In short, a black hole is what you get when a star collapses in on itself and creates a feedback loop that entraps everything that comes near it. All substance, all light and all energy disappears into the void, crushed and atomised.
Once you’ve entered the black hole, there is nothing but darkness and no hope of escape.
However, NASA have confirmed that, despite the similarities, there is no truth to the rumour that the black hole is to be named Simon.
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- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...3 weeks ago
- Pharmac Chair appointed
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...18 hours ago - Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisorderHundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...2 days ago
- New sports complex opens in KaikoheRegional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...2 days ago
- Diplomacy needed more than everForeign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...2 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery BelgiumAmbassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...3 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk BairDistinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...3 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, TürkiyeMai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...4 days ago
- PM announces changes to portfoliosPaul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...5 days ago
- New catch limits for unique fishery areasRecreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...5 days ago
- Minister welcomes hydrogen milestoneEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...5 days ago
- Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment BillThe coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...6 days ago
- Overseas decommissioning models consideredOverseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...6 days ago
- Release of North Island Severe Weather Event InquiryEmergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...6 days ago
- Justice Minister to attend Human Rights CouncilJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...6 days ago
- Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facilityAssociate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...7 days ago
- Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...7 days ago
- Government to introduce revised Three Strikes lawThe Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...7 days ago
- New diplomatic appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...7 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and SomaliaNew Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...7 days ago
- Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho CollectiveMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...1 week ago
- Supporting better financial outcomes for KiwisThe Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...1 week ago
- Trade relationship with China remains strong“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...1 week ago
- PM’s South East Asia mission does the businessPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...1 week ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East AsiaNew Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...1 week ago
- Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...1 week ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...1 week ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...1 week ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...1 week ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...1 week ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...1 week ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...1 week ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...1 week ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...1 week ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...2 weeks ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...2 weeks ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...2 weeks ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...2 weeks ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...2 weeks ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...2 weeks ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...2 weeks ago
- Palestine protesters stage Gaza ‘die-in’ as leaders call for step up in boycotts
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...2 hours ago - Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...3 hours ago
- Biden hails ‘press freedom, democracy’ but ignores Gaza media death toll of 142The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...7 hours ago
- Fast-track Approvals Bill Presents A Serious Risk To New Zealand Exporters
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...10 hours ago - 'Immigration changes necessary' – Stanford
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says work has started on a broader accredited employer work visa review. ...11 hours ago - Green co-leader James Shaw came 'very close' to resigning as minister under Labour govtThe former minister reveals he "ended up storming out" of a Cabinet meeting over disagreements on climate change and biodiversity. ...13 hours ago
- NZCTU Welcomes Corporate Manslaughter Bill IntroductionNZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...13 hours ago
- US election forecaster with near-perfect track record not ready call 2024 just yetA historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...14 hours ago
- US election forecaster with near-perfect track record not ready to call 2024 just yetA historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...14 hours ago
- Fish and quiz: The many uses of written parliamentary questionsMinisters have to answer thousands of written questions each year - but how are they used, and for what end? ...15 hours ago
- Former Deputy PM Paula Bennett appointed Pharmac board chairThe former National MP "brings a wealth of experience" to the role, David Seymour says. ...17 hours ago
- Inside the home of New Zealand’s greatest crime writer
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own. Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...18 hours ago - ‘Apologies to Dvořák’: How a serenade for strings cemented one of New Zealand TV’s strongest...Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...19 hours ago
- An Ode to .. King Luxon
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...20 hours ago - In the studio with artist power couple Claudia Kogachi and Josephine JelicichThe pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like. ‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...22 hours ago
- An ode to the muesli bar, a national treasureThank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...22 hours ago
- Government urged to hit the gas on revamp of road user chargesInfrastructure New Zealand is pushing for new road user charges to be brought in quicker to help relieve pressure on strained transport funding. ...1 day ago
- US student Palestine protests against Israel’s war on Gaza inspire global actionAsia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...1 day ago
- Former Te Whatu Ora chairperson Rob Campbell criticises Health NZ's 'savings' directi...Rob Campbell said it shows "poor management" and is "frankly irresponsible". ...2 days ago
- ‘To lead is to serve’ – Governor-General to call PM election in Solomon IslandsRNZ Pacific The race to form the next government of Solomon Islands could be a tight one, with no single party emerging from the election with enough seats to govern. Caretaker prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Our Party did the best, securing 15 out of the 50 seats in the House. ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards – FastTrackWatch: The Case for the Government’s Fast Track BillAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...2 days ago
- NZ and Türkiye pledge cooperation during natural disastersThe two countries have "a long history of coming to each other's aid", including after the 2023 Turkish earthquakes, Winston Peters says. ...2 days ago
- Waste not, want not: New series Food Waste Kitchen turns food trash into treasureTara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...2 days ago
- Vaping regulations fight 'immeasurably harder' under coalition – campaignerFocus on Politics - Successive governments have claimed crack downs on youth vaping, but the bending and breaking of rules seems pervasive. ...2 days ago
- Dog of the month: Scout, who is so independent she could be a catScout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...2 days ago
- ‘I don’t know if we were brave or stupid’: Megan Alatini on changing reality TVMegan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...2 days ago
- Behind the counter: Wellington shopkeepersA new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...2 days ago
- Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand Condemns Toomaj Salehi's Death Sentence And The New Aggres...Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...2 days ago
- Short story: Calf Creek, by Anna ScaifeMy cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...2 days ago
- Newsroom welcomes the Secret DiaryNewsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...2 days ago
- I saw ‘The Sign’, and it opened up my eyes: All the fuss around Bluey, explainedTara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...2 days ago
- Jessica Tater has ambition without bordersWorking as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...2 days ago
- The island where people’s stories are paramountThere’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...2 days ago
- Australian author leads silence protest over ‘blood debt’ owed to PapuansAsia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...2 days ago
- Israel delays Gaza Freedom Flotilla departure with bureaucratic ‘block’Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...2 days ago
- Have New Zealanders really been ‘misled’ about AUKUS, or is involvement now a foregone conclusio...ANALYSIS: By Marco de Jong, Auckland University of Technology and Robert G. Patman, University of Otago When former prime minister Helen Clark spoke out against New Zealand potentially compromising its independent foreign policy by joining pillar two of the AUKUS security pact, Foreign Minister Winston Peters responded bluntly: On ...2 days ago
- Palestine protesters challenge TVNZ over Israeli ambassador’s ‘propaganda’Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...2 days ago
- Lynley Hood Opinion – Senator Fulbright must be spinning in his grave2 days ago
- Fast-track bill could affect NZ's reputation – Transparency InternationalThe ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...2 days ago
- We’re all feeling the collective grief and trauma of violence against women – but this is the pr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...2 days ago
- Species living closely together in symbiosis is far older and way more common than you might thinkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis. AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...2 days ago
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- Jobseekers get about $345 less than pensioners each fortnight. This gap is hurting, and is set to wi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...2 days ago
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- Labor facing heavy defeat in Queensland, but faring better in federal pollsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...3 days ago
- Why the potential for another Donald Trump presidency is making Iran very nervousSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...3 days ago
- ‘The worst piece of law proposed since 1979’: Reactions to the Fast-track Approvals BillA brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...3 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Cereal giving’ by Robin PeaceA poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...3 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 26The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...3 days ago
- Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Whātua Welcomes Commissioner's Decision Regarding Awataha MaraeThe Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...3 days ago
- We reconstructed landscapes that greeted the first humans in Australia around 65,000 years agoSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes. Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...3 days ago
- What do we lose when our old suburbs disappear?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, Parramatta Photo: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...3 days ago
- Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What 60 years of NZ data can tell usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImages fatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...3 days ago
- After spending $700,000 on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costsA government office that set aside millions for lapel pins for pandemic workers is now looking to cut back on spending. ...3 days ago
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- The Week in Politics: Days of drama and demotionsAnalysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...3 days ago
- Hear me out: All I want is a TrueBliss T-shirtTara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...3 days ago
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you mean it was not a hollywood production?
gosh, who would have thought?
Heh.
Perhaps one day when science explains everything religious…
it will be that light is heaven and the black hole is hell
and that will be it.
‘god’ was never anything but physical matters twisted and warped in space.
proving, like dolly the sheep did, that the spiritual is a subset of the physical and not the other way around
Perhaps one day when science explains everything religious
If you reckon ‘science’ could explain any such thing then you do not understand what ‘science’ is…and what it is not…
much ‘religion’ has already been explained, and it is increasing exponentially. Example: the sun
Define ‘religion’ for the context of your comment…
Define ‘explained’…
Genuinely interested in your original comment and the sheep analogy, for which you have use ‘the sun’ as an example of …religion being explained …sun…’god’…I am assuming…
gotta fly but..
if you accept that dolly the sheep had a spirit/soul, then it becomes apparent that that was created by man through physical means. Dolly’s spirit/soul arose from the physical
When you get back, if you feel so inclined…
Perhaps you could have a go at articulating the two definitions I asked about…
Religion
Explained…
So, I’m reading…
1. You accept dolly had a spirit/soul – you see these things as the same..
2. However, because dolly was supposedly a ‘lab creation’…science experiment..
3. That there is no ‘spirituality’ which can exist outside of the physical being body/mind (single entity)…
4. Therefore there is no external ‘spirituality’ ergo no ‘god/religion’…
5. Because ‘science’ says so ….
About right?
Plus or minus…
The spiritual sprung from the physical. The spiritual is an as yet unnamed and undiscovered physical state.
I suspect one day ‘religious features’ will all be described as ‘physical features’. Same example; the sun.
as a tangent – as far as I’m aware no space exploration (by rocket or telescope) to date has discovered any new elements in outer space. Everything found to date out in space is made of materials that are found on earth. Everything…
There is something in that too.
Argh…ok….scientism…
That’s what my presumption was…thanks for the response to affirm…
Do you consider yourself an atheist ?
If I might ask you a question now – assuming you are of a religious view, how then did dolly the sheep acquire the spiritual? From where did it come? (all on the assumption dolly had such)
You’ve not answered the any of the questions…generally speaking…answering the asked question before coming back with some of your own is the sequence…
In a gesture of good faith, I’ll respond to one of yours… ‘where did dolly acquire the spiritual from’…
I am not for or against any religious persuasion…
…and in response to the question…if the ‘science’ you believe in had the answers…then you would not need to ask such a question…because the ‘science’ would already have provided you with an answer…
Which you could then use to confirm internal and external bias…
So …do you consider yourself an atheist ?
“if the ‘science’ you believe in had the answers…then you would not need to ask such a question…because the ‘science’ would already have provided you with an answer…”
This makes no sense in the context of science and its rising position within the world… Science hasn’t been able to describe everything yet – it takes time…
…for examples, plate tectonics were only discovered in the 1950’s. Anthropology is also only a very young science. Black holes were only recently discovered. It has only recently been accepted that it is now a matter of if, not when, life is found elsewhere (only 20 years you would be laughed at in suggesting such).
So imo to suggest that science would have provided the answer already is a nonsense.
To your question as to whether I am an atheist – reserving my position. I suspect that ‘god’ will end up being a physical state/thing somewhere which can be measured and described. Like the sun now can be.
Fair play on ‘reserving your position’ vto…
Measured and described…
The examples you provide are physical world…the belief in identifying measuring and describing the supposed ‘non physical’ … is pure scientism…among other things…cult like belief in ‘the science’…
‘Science’ cannot and will not explain everything…not ‘the science’ you’re refering to…not on an infinite timeline…absolutely not on a human timeline…
If you understood the limitations of ‘science’…then you would have appreciated what I was saying…
Einstein understood limitations…the so called ‘greatest minds’ did…
Many of them were deeply religious…Einstein was…
Perhaps you were not aware…
The examples you provide are physical world…the belief in identifying measuring and describing the supposed ‘non physical’ … is pure scientism…
Oh, the religious things that people just make up can be measured and described alright, just not in a way that the people believing the made-up stuff would find very flattering.
Depends on the definition of made up stuff…
So many examples in ‘science’… is made up stuff…best guess…
You know, milt…those things which ‘science’ leaves gaping holes while explaining…
“The examples you provide are physical world…”
No. The examples were not ‘physical world’. They may be physical world now, because science has measured them, but they were not physical world in the past. The sun was not considered a ‘physical’ – that only came later…
.. which can be applied to the rest of the supposed non-physical today, like a ‘spiritual world’. i.e. they too will get measured… which brings me back to dolly the sheep and any spirit/soul she may have had…
We are not at any end-point one two.
…
and this: “‘Science’ cannot and will not explain everything”
I don’t see how it is possible to say that. Especially on the trajectory of science over the last 200 years, and especially the last 20 years…
Science is explaining more, while religion is explaining less.
Note the tangent referred to previously – no new physical matter has been found in space yet.
BTW, where do you suppose Dolly’s spirit/soul came from? How did it arise? You haven’t answered that yet.
…
As to your limitations point etc, sure I can see how religion and science may converge one day, but imo it will be by way of a scientific proof.. Based on current trajectory that is
they may be physical world now because science has measured them…
Vto..I think I get where you’re coming from…science ia not the apex of anything which your comments indicate you believe it to be…
Unless you’re referring to science as having ‘god like’ status…which again…pure scientism…not science at all…
You’re indicating a faith based belief that ‘science’ …’knows’ all…and what it doesn’t yet ‘know’…doesn’t yet exist…but surely will…because science…
You’re practicing a religion…vto…faith based scientism…not scientific at all..
You keep repeating..’no new physical matter has been found in space…yet…
As if that can at some point on a timeline ever prove that what…pointlessness of religion’…will that prove anything at all…if such a thing could ever be proven…which it can’t…
But …but…just not yet..
You’re practising a form of religious faith…vto…
Why are you still asking about dolly and a soul…I don’t have the answer…neither does ‘science’…and it never will…not as you believe it can…
I’m not an absolutist…except on the cult of scientism…because proving something existential does not exist…
Is impossible vto…think it through…you’ve got some ‘time’…
One Two, you keep putting words in my mouth which aren;t there. Examples;
1- “science ia not the apex of anything which your comments indicate you believe it to be”. Never said that. It is not an apex, but it is certainly pointing towards an apex I think at the moment in the world.
2- “Your indicating a faith based belief that ‘science’ …knows all…and what it doesn’t yet ‘know’…doesn’t yet exist…but surely will…”. No, I am simply extrapolating the last 200 years of scientific advancement. Such extrapolation is of course a ‘forecast’ only, with associated uncertainty and risk.
3-“You’re practicing a religion” No – see above.
4-“still asking about dolly and a soul…I don’t have the answer…neither does ‘science’…and it never will…not as you believe it can…”. Not correct. Science created Dolly. Did Dolly have a soul/spirit? Can science measure a soul/spirit? There are already such suggestions…
You say you are not an absolutist, yet there you are being absolutist.
You need to think about what science has learned, especially in the last 20 years, and even the last 2 years. What science has learned has already debunked countless ‘religious’ matters. It is on an exponential rise.
The problem science has today, are the religious and others amongst us who act like conspiracy theorists and trump supporters in this age of fake news and bullshit… they say “how can you know anything?”… waste of space comment that one.
That is what you are doing.
…………
Finally, the point about no new material yet being discovered in outer space – it seems to flummox you. Come back to me later when thoughts occur about what that might mean..
I’m seeking to interpret your comments, vto…if I am not interpreting as you intend…you can clarify…as you’re trying to do here..
To your numbered points.
1. Your comments indicated enough for me to make the ‘apex’ remark…and you’ve confirmed it with your own words…previously…and again…
certainly pointing towards apex I think in the world…
2. How are you extrapolating…what method are you using…send links…give quantified examples…provide the authors you’re reading etc…
3. You don’t yet understand that you’re practicing a faith based religion…built on ‘forecasts’…extrapolations’…suggestions…
4. Post links to the studies ‘suggesting’ measuring soul/spirit…go right ahead…or are you being suggestive only…
If it is not defined…it can’t be measured…again…provide definitions…your own…not someone else’s…science can’t define the spirit or soul…science can’t measure it…no matter what ‘science’ says…
On the cult of scientism…I am absolutist…I stated exactly that…
As for the remainder of your comment…it reads like you have a long journey ahead…and alot of time to learn and grow…
I wish you all the very best, vto…thanks for the responses…
Both science and religion are models of reality however only one of these models has predictive capability….
The three basal starting points of models of reality (and the philosophy of reality) are:
1. We assume the universe exists.
2. If we assume the universe exists then we can assume that we can learn something about it
3. That which has most predictive power is a better model than that which does not.
Science predicts, religion does not so religion is a defunct model of reality
replying to my own: “Finally, the point about no new material yet being discovered in outer space – it seems to flummox you. Come back to me later when thoughts occur about what that might mean..”
I find this fascinating, though don’t know where it might end up…
What I suspect, in one short sentence, is that this means there is in fact a knowable end point to everything in the universe.
The end.
But wait there’s more… “What I suspect, in one short sentence, is that this means there is in fact a knowable end point to everything in the universe.”
Which would make sense given that we can glean as much about everything from looking down and inwards, as we can looking up and outwards. For example, the riddles of the universe can be solved probably by looking at the atom as much as looking at distant stars. And this ties in with there being nothing new out in space. It is all here right now.
The second end ha ha.
Telescopes probe the universe while the Large Hadron Collider probes the particles
I think in the grand scheme of the universe size is irrelevant and is a human construct
Selway…you returned…to share more of the ‘selway science’…
You made a grandiose exit…twisted up many commemts…your own involvment…and now you’ve flip floped back…
It’s ‘all’ human construct…except you know…the immeasursble volume of what isn’t known…
See if you can ‘selway science’ that….
Third end herewith, sorry;
“this means there is in fact a knowable end point to everything in the universe”
and therein lies God
the convergence is complete
One Two: “It’s ‘all’ human construct”
But if everything out in space is the same as what is on earth, then it is clearly not “all human construct” is it…. It is “all earth construct”
the whole universe is made of the same stuff that earth is made of
humans have nothing to do with it
The tools used to ‘define and measure’…are 100% human constructs…
Aren’t they…
If by “selway science” you mean “mainstream science” then yes.
I’m not sure what else you could be talking about but if you think I have made an error please point it out rather than just puffing out your chest. I will gladly retract any errors I have made if you could be a dear and show them to me.
Basically put up or shut up
Your (selway science) errors were called out…not just by me…and then a short time after you went on an abusive tirade on a different thread with a bunch of others…
You then got on a soapbox and announced you were moving on…seeking to absolve yourself of responsibility…a fewer number of handles corrected your written nonsense…and waved you goodbye…
Lacking of conviction…you’ve decided to come back…or are you someone else ?
Again…off topic…so I’ll leave it at that…
Plate tectonics was ‘described’ well before the 1950s
‘in 1912 the meteorologist Alfred Wegener amply described what he called continental drift, expanded in his 1915 book The Origin of Continents and Oceans’.. wiki
While Selway Science has a nice ring to it I prefer mainstream science. You know, shit that can be demonstrated and repeated.
Mainstream science is shit…you have that right on…
Corporatized, lobbied, corrupted, fraudulant, privarized and paid for…
Sound bites repeated ad nauseum for easy digestion…low cpu cycle requirements…narrow bands of thought…
Explains your pre soapbox commentary ‘I know the scientific method’…et al…
Mainstream ‘shit’ science…selway science…
A symbiotic embrace…
One Two “The tools used to ‘define and measure’…are 100% human constructs…”
Misses the point by a large margin – doesn’t matter whose or what tools are used to describe, the fact is that all the stuff out there is the same as the stuff here on planet earth. Use a martian or some mountain guru to measure it for all I care, it is the same stuff. That was the point, no matter how much you try to pull it back to the current shortcomings of humanity and their uninformed brains.
Humans have nothing to do with it. Perhaps re-read the point.
Vto…you appear to have missed that my response was to selways comment about universe size and human construct…
So in the context of my response…your question and my answer…about tools and definitions…that you are maligned…and off track…
Now…your eagerness to enforce that planet earth is same same…’star dust’…sure…but only to the best of human knowledge using human understanding of physics and maths etc…invented by human beings…
You’re rushing…a little lost…and keen to share your knowledge…that’s great…keep at it…
Will the Martians use science to gain ‘infinite knowlege’…
Or is that a uniquely egoistic human endevour…you reckon…
Hey vto welcome to the one two black hole. Lol – use maximum thrusters NOW before it’s too late man.
One Two, appreciate swapping notes with you but I’m going to stop now as the cry “nobody can ever know anything for sure because human” is a waste of time and can, by its own definition, never get anywhere.
And that has been the sole response from you at each point.
Your view is self-defeating and ever-decreasing-circulary.
See you in outer space one day, if it actually even exists… those stars tonight I guess I am seeing with my human eyes so may not even exist, how would I know, eh ………
Good luck
edit: @marty, heh yeah I think I finally clicked onto that. Have thrustered out now and cruising in my own orbit again …..
Cheers vto…your comments are positive and in good faith…I appreciate that…
The core of your comments as I read them was…science will eventually measure and explain ‘everything’…that is your stated position as I interpreted it…
I simply highlighted where that perspective has gaps in logic…we kept it light…
It reads like you have genuine curiosity which is such a cool trait to have…
Imagination is another amazing power to possess…
Science, will never be able to explain imagination…sure it can tell you which synapses are firing and even claim to be able to read thoughts…
But science will never be so apex,that it can explain imagination, where it comes from…
Nor will science rationally be able to measure or describe human spirit or soul…nor dolly the sheeps…
Cheers again vto…I’ve enjoyed swapping notes too…your style is open and friendly…
Stargazing and stardust…amazing…
@Marty
It’s one hell of a black hole. Lucky for me though following mainstream science is now “Selway Science”. I want a nobel prize now.
Here’s a couple of sites to help you understand the nature of what you’re up against.
http://sebpearce.com/bullshit/
http://wisdomofchopra.com/
Vto has been around this site for some time, and reads as too positive to be interested in joining the ‘angry little mans’ group, Andre…
Vto reads as far more capable than requiring bad advice from your grudge carrying quater…
Selways back…reckon you should sign him up…regardless the numbers in the group…none of you provide any challenge…individually or collectively…
Post some more on OM…you know the stuff I mean…
Meanwhile, back in the shop……
https://twitter.com/Jcrudess/status/1112504855375970306
Yeah – fuck mainstream science!
(Says the guy whose whole life is dependant on the work of mainstream science)
lol me too.
Depending on when the apocalypse hits, a week from when one med runs out I’ll be screaming in agony, and as the others run out various chronic conditions will start clocking off.
I might live another twenty years without them, but those years will totally suck until I have an event that kills me outright (if I’m lucky) or leaves me to starve where I fall if I’m unlucky.
With science… who knows how long I’ll hang around 🙂
Reading through this conversation it becomes apparent at this point that One Two is so named because they like to dance. No straight answers, just manipulation, twisting of words and general shit talk.
Soimon… Is that you?
Is there a black hole deep enough?
“Where the laws of physics break down”
Look, in the center, that’s where real magic happens.
I’ve heard tell you can turn lead into gold. We should send a delegation of investment bankers to investigate.
I feel like you’re all not fully grasping how mind-blowing this image actually is. The light in those images is from 54 million years ago!
When that light started heading toward us, the Himalayan mountain range was still 4 million years away from rapidly (geologically speaking) springing up. The European and North American continents were only just starting to break apart. Almost the entire world from pole to pole was covered in dense forests.
The earliest forms of ‘modern’ mammals (ancestors of elephants, primates, rodents etc) were only just starting to emerge. The earth was not particularly far past having dinosaurs dominate the ecosystem.
Well, more like microwaves than light. The EHT detects 1.3mm wavelengths, which is roughly 230 GHz.
https://eventhorizontelescope.org/
Impossible to get one’s head around but still truly remarkable.
So, that image was reality 54 million years ago! What is the likely reality today?
Cue discussion of relativity and what “today” means in terms of information travelling vast distances etc etc.
In terms of what we are likely to observe from earth in 54 Million years’ time, I suspect the answer is “not much different to what we observe today”. 54 million years really isn’t much in terms of the lifetimes of galaxies, stars, black holes. It might be a bit brighter if it manages to snarf down a few more stars in the meantime, or maybe a bit dimmer if our observation now isn’t long after it’s had a snack.
But if you want some real eyes-glazed-over stuff, here’s a goodie about the life and times of supermassive black holes.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4561239/
Thanks Andre. I suspected as much.
I will check out the link later. Too early still….
That’ll teach all the Fundies’ mumbo jumbo claims that God made heaven and earth (presumably with his bare hands) in ten days around 12,000 years ago. 😈
often overlooked is the formidable mathematical theory on black holes formulated by NZ Roy Kerr.
“Nobel laureate S. Chandrasekhar, who said that in his entire scientific life, “the most shattering experience has been the realization that [the Kerr metric] provides the absolutely exact representation of untold numbers of massive black holes that populate the Universe.”
https://physics.aps.org/articles/v7/18
And the Bald wig wearing black holes.
https://astrobites.org/2017/07/27/bald-black-holes-wearing-wigs/
often overlooked is the formidable mathematical theory on black holes formulated by NZ Roy Kerr.
He was given full recognition on both TV1 and TV3 this evening. Such a humble person too.
“That’ll teach all the Fundies’ mumbo jumbo claims that God made heaven and earth (presumably with his bare hands) in ten days around 12,000 years ago.”
You’d think so, right, but if common sense, carbon dated fossils and some brilliant scientific minds can’t break the grip of the 6,000 year old earth lie, sadly, a fuzzy photo of space aint got a hope.
I should have added a (sarc).
Quite agree but then Fundies sit on the lowest bar of the human IQ range.
No surprise most of them live in the US.
https://twitter.com/dakami/status/1114829101167079426
My late Dad was saying the same sort of thing as far back as the 60s and 70s but nowhere near as eloquently as Carl Sagan.
I knew where you were coming from so no need for a (sarc).
My personal opinion isn’t generally favourable to religions or the religious, but the really stupid ones, well they’re like flat earthers, anti vaxers and all the other weirdo conspiracists rolled into one giant nutbar.
That aussie meat head rugby player being a prime example.
Also remember Al1en something I read somewhere the other day, could have been on here
“Flat earthers have nothing to fear but sphere itself.”
Well I laughed
Good stuff.
I like the Neil deGrasse Tyson tweet – “A lunar eclipse flat – Earthers have never seen”
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/934906611088359426
In using dismissive comments, abusive language, terminologies and pejoratives…
You are exhibiting many of the most negative personality traits…
How many can you list ?
Make a start, and I will continue the list for you…
I don’t give a flying f*ck what point you’re failing to make.
Though if you want to make a case for religion, 5g mind melting, flat earthers, anti vaxers and all the other weirdo conspiracists rolled into one giant nutbar, you go for it.
It’s you’re right to make a laughing stock of yourself.
I thought I had made it simple enough that you could understand…
Use of insults and other dismissive language serves only to illustrate the negative traits of the user…
All highly transparent…and separate from any specific subject matter…
Unsurprising you’d rather seek to deflect/project…using more abusive language…
This is getting off topic, so I’ll leave it at that..
Thanks for stopping by on your way to your next ill fated cause de jour.
It’s still your* right to make a laughing stock of yourself.
*Misspelling corrected from above.
immediately followed by
lols
What a fucking tool
“Make a start, and I will continue the list for you…”
1 1,2.. are you related to 3,5, n
2 if so would you be a bunny?
“You are exhibiting many of the most negative personality traits…
How many can you list ?
Make a start, and I will continue the list for you…”
wow that is sad that you’d want to list out someones negative personality traits – pretty cruel shit that. Your commentary has really changed over the last few months – you seem really angry and nit-picky and judgmental and on some kind of mission. WTF is going on with you?
Give it up marty…your weak attempts to project onto my comments are transparent…are you trawling comments looking for something you latch onto…
Alien handed over the negative traits…maybe take it up at the source…or more likely the aggressive swearing style appeals to you on a visceral level…and as a tacit endorsement of TA’s ‘style…you’ve tried to hang it on me…its not worked…you’re not able to pull that off marty…not with me…
You’re looking for something from me…you need to find things for yourself…stop talking your internal BS so openly…stop needing to apologize…stop promising to vaccinate your kids and hold someone else responsible…and then ignore repeated requests to show the certs…or admit you were simply mouthing off..again…
How many times have you apologized to me recently…and to others here for your angry foul mouthed insults…plenty…
And you are deluded enough to pass judgement on my comments…using a poorly thought out approach…
Move along marty…I’m not the target you should keep engaging with…it’s pointless for you…
I wouldn’t worry about it MM. You, like most here, know what 12 is like.
Don’t waste your time with bitter game players. Stick to knowledgeable debate and good conversation with those open to both.
Just an observation, 1-2; yours is a fairly demanding comment (@11:04 pm), quite poetic in its own way.
come on The Al1en – turn that shit into a hit – you got the skills – I’ve listened to your shit. There you go mate a bit more lyric for ya lol
I do remember doing ‘Link Whore’ for the original Phil. 😆
mumbo jumbo claims that God made heaven and earth
Whatever last vestiges of religion remained in my brain from Catholic schooling, they were wiped away when I read Sagan’s “Cosmos”.
My local Presbyterian minister (long since passed this mortal coil) was always running down the Catholic Church and by inference anyone who was a Catholic. Around 17 years of age I started to realise he was talking a load of codswallop. That got me to thinking about all the rest of the stuff and I came to the conclusion it was all a load of cods…….. 😉
Having said that, I have known over the years some truly good people who were/are devout Christians and were representative of all the Christian denominations.
At 17 years old I was just jealous of my catholic mate who went to a catholic school because the parties put on by his schoolmates were much rowdier and raunchier than the ones put on by my secular schoolmates.
Cosmos is one of my favourite books (and Sagan my favourite popular scientist. Tyson can fuck right off….Sagan is king)
More interesting info
“The iconic image offers humanity its first glimpse at the gas and debris that swirl around its event horizon, the point beyond which material disappears forever. A favorite object of science fiction has finally been made real on screen.
Their target was a nearby galaxy dubbed M87 and its supermassive black hole, which packs the mass of six and half billion suns. Despite its size, the black hole is so far from Earth – 53 million light-years – that capturing the image took a telescope the size of the planet.”
http://www.astronomy.com/news/2019/04/event-horizon-telescope-releases-first-ever-black-hole-image
Theres a massive black hole at the centre of our universe , the Milky Way, too.
“oday’s image is just the first astronomers expect EHT to produce. The observatory’s other main target is the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*. While it sits 1,000 times closer than M87, it’s also roughly 1,000 times smaller, so it takes the same amount of observing power. But because it’s smaller, the material swirling around its event horizon moves much faster, completing one circuit every few minutes, as opposed to a few days to circle M87”
Too much data even for the internet for the M87 telescopes
“Another complication is just the logistics of moving around so much data. Each station takes data over a range of wavelengths, resulting in massive amounts of information, as much as 5,000 hours of mp3 music files – too much to transmit. For instance, to transport data back from the South Pole Telescope, scientists had to wait until Antarctic spring when the planes finally started flying out again. A shipping pallet packed with the hard drives had to be sent back to the Northern Hemisphere, where data analysis was done ..” Astronomy.com
Yeah I’ve just been marvelling at the science in that article – who knew you could weigh a black hole – mindblowing.
weight ain’t mass 😉
It’s one of the nice things about science and astronomy in particular that great efforts often rest on a rather elegant application of basic physical laws. As soon as you can lock down one or two values (like an orbital trajectory and distance from the body being orbited) the rest of the math fall into place and a schoolkid can do it.
It just takes someone really smart to lock down, with a decent model, experimental evidence, and the ability to explain their reasoning, those initial few values.
But marty didn’t say “weight”, he said “weigh”. Using the verb “weigh” as a shorter version of “determine the mass of” seems just fine to me.
Hmmmm
I’m not sure I agree with you, but it’s a fair point. I might have over-smartarsed myself 🙂
I will say I created the sentence to try and get people to read the article
And it should be noted the article did use “weight” incorrectly at least once to refer to a black hole’s mass.
National’s new logo design.
New National Party logo.
+1000
Has my vote 😀
Better logo for the minister of statistics.As physical information that enters a black hole is lost for ever.
Haha, nicely done Te Reo.
The parallels between black holes and National are interesting to say the least – A massive gassy ball of energy that isn’t sustainable and eventually runs out of fuel and implodes. What’s left is the void, a great gaping vortex of nothingness that’s infinitely dense. In this dying phase a black hole emits Hawking radiation affecting hapless particles that get too close to its event horizon – kinda like what we see with National ATM.
This topic is fine fuel for poetry 🙂
Death of a Gassy Giant
Do black holes grieve as Nats
for lost days of blazed trails
and spiraling companions.
Are they stained by death as Nats
now left to hawking their wares
to woeful passerby’s;
the lack of which
keeps Simon in the cold,
or will they learn as others have
that greatness isn’t girth.
I like it.
Stardust sprinkled sky
Simon aims for the moon
falls in the black hole
Ohhh haiku challenge! Yuss!
You had me at infinitely dense.
“You know of what I speak, Gandalf — a great Eye… lidless… wreathed in flame.”
The universe is so strange and has no discernible purpose.
So how then do we conduct ourselves?
The rain has cleared from the south and I am watching a kingfisher on the fence.
We try, in general, to not be dicks.
The abscence of an overarching meaning to the universe doesn’t have to result in a vicious, abusive society, any more than being asocial means one has to become a predatory wolf rather than a protecting sheepdog.
As social animals, we try to get along with each other, and we tend to ostracise the abusers. So from an enlightened self interest point of view, it’s usually best to try to avoid being a dick.
As social animals, we enjoy helping each other, being of service. We tend, to greater and lesser degrees, to avoid wanting to be dicks to others.
And if the dinosaur bones, laws of physics, and black holes are all just god playing hard to get, then as long as we’re not too much of a dick, we’ll probably be okay in the eyes of god, anyway. So not being a dick hedges the bet against the existence of an afterlife. And if not, then god’s a bit of a dick, too.
Yeah – that’ll do for now. Thanks McFlock.
Mcflock, you’re a self proclaimed bit of a dick…and certainly abusive through your comments on this blog site…following the bouncing ball…you’re contributing to an abusive society…
Through being a bit of a dick…
Enlightenment via self awareness …?
Hypocrisy?
Nobody’s perfect.
The vast bulk of your comments consist of belittling others while pretending to be working at some “higher level” than everyone else. Is that really any less dickish than calling someone a “fucking tool”?
At least I’m honest about my imperfections, dick.
Nobody is perfect…absolutely agree…we’re all a work in progress…
The rest of your musing is, as I have expressed to you before…flawed interpretations of my comments…but you can’t or won’t accept that…
You’re threatened in some way…and like others with a long archive of abusive history on this site…you go looking for ways to make the abuse sound as it it was somehow warranted or deserved…
If you were being even slightly honest with yourself…you’d have managed away from posting abuse on this site (your handle goes back a very long way…little change)…anonymous or not…it is a part of your contribution to society…
You prefer to write three paragraphs belittling another commenter and telling them how to live their lives.
I prefer to say “fuck off, you fucking tool”.
Potayto, potahto.
One Two is not only a wifi nut, but anti-vax & probably a bible banger as well, but too scared to admit it. He suffers from a writing affliction where he can’t finish his sentences …….
Thinks it makes him look superior to everyone else when he is none too bright. As for The claim that Einstein was deeply religious, what a load of bollocks. But he provides good entertainment for this website that can be a tad serious at times.
Didn’t Einstein shag his cousin? that’s pretty biblical…
Albert Einstein may have been a genius but his brother Frank was a monster
ugh 🙂
… and both of them were cheap drunks, getting hammered on one german mug of beer apiece.
Einstein walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “I’ll take a beer, and a beer for my friend, Heisenberg.”
The bartender looks around and asks, “Is your friend here?”
“Well,” says Einstein, “he is and he isn’t.”
Enrico Fermi walks into a bar, looks around, and says “where the bloody hell is everybody?”
Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar.
One says, “I think I’ve lost an electron.”
The other says, “Are you sure?”
The first replies, “Yes, I’m positive…”
And finally
A neutron walks into a bar and orders a drink. Upon being asked the price, the bartender responded, “For you? No charge.”
She was his first and second cousin. Family games indeed.
Katie Bouman, lady nerd de jour.
https://twitter.com/Miss604/status/1116071474786234368
It’s been a big day for science. And an even bigger day for women scientists.
On Wednesday, we Earthlings got our first direct look at a black hole, thanks to the Event Horizon Telescope, an array of eight radio telescopes around the world working together to create the image. But in the midst of making jokes about how that photo kinda sorta looks the eye of Sauron and wondering how this newfound information could impact Albert Einstein’s theories of gravity, social media focused on making sure one of the women behind the project gets credit for her contributions.
Katie Bouman, an MIT grad, helped develop a computer program while still in school. Along with others, it helped create the image of the black hole. She also led testing to verify the images.
https://www.cnet.com/news/katie-bouman-was-key-to-that-black-hole-photo-and-the-internet-loves-her/
Thank you Joe. This woman deserves recognition for her fine work.
“….but kinda underwhelming….”
WTF? I know I said I wasn’t going to post here again but after reading that…WTF?
It’s a picture of a Black Hole! That, by definition, cannot be underwhelming!
Lovely to see you back commenting, John. I agree entirely about the awesomeness of the black hole. However the ‘kinda underwhelming’ line needs to be read in context of the post, particularly the last word 😉
I left for awhile because of the abuse really. People who seemed to think disagreement/fact checking claims etc = YOU’RE A RWNJ!
(I’m far from Right-Wing).
Sometimes it is a distracting and overwhelmingly negative. Particularly when people who say such things won’t back it up, just believing that shouting it loudly at someone makes it true.
Anyway – this is a great day for humans and a great day for scientific advancement.
If I contributed to you going in any way – my apologies. I do recall butting heads over the usefulness of meta-analysis. It was not important. What is important (for me) is owning my own foibles and screw ups.
We might disagree again, but I will TRY not to be such a dick.
Apologies.
I can handle butting heads – its all good.
It was people like Muttonbird (who repeatedly called me an RWNJ just because I disagreed with him/her) and One Two he resorts to ad homs instead of any real argument
Yes, life is too short for some people’s nonsense.
But if you’re in the right mood for it, it can be very entertaining nonsense.
#notallnonsense
I like space but that photo didnt get me fizzing at all . Looks like a soft focus pic of the top of an apple.
Yeah, you would’ve thought they’d have got in focus, eh bagthorn!
So its a black hole,… so is this.
The Black Picture – YouTube
They photoshopped out the Starship Enterprise, didn’t they?
An interesting explainer of the image.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/4/11/18306110/first-image-black-hole-eht-event-horizon-singularity