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Jun 23rd, 2021, 10:56 pm
ClearSpace-1

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Preventing more space junk from entering orbit is just part of the solution – retrieving existing debris is also vital. Enter ClearSpace-1, which will be the first space mission to remove an item of rubbish from orbit.

Due to launch in 2025, the mission will aim to capture a 100kg payload adaptor that sent the ESA’s Proba-V satellite (pictured) into space. It is now surplus to requirements and swirling around with tens of thousands of other pieces of space junk.

The pioneering mission to remove the item is being led by the Swiss startup ClearSpace. The hope is that it will demonstrate the potential for new junk-removal spacecraft and create a market for space rubbish clearance.

“Even if all space launches were halted tomorrow, projections show that the overall orbital debris population will continue to grow, as collisions between items generate fresh debris in a cascade effect,” said Luisa Innocenti, head of the ESA’s Clean Space initiative. “The only way to stabilise the orbital environment is to actively remove large debris items.”

Image: The Proba-V satelite sits atop its payload adaptor. Credit: ESA
Jun 23rd, 2021, 10:56 pm

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Jun 24th, 2021, 1:52 am
Anonymous customer leaves $16,000 tip at N.H. restaurant

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A customer who ordered a couple of chili dogs, fried pickle chips and drinks at a New Hampshire restaurant left a big tip — $16,000.

The staff didn’t notice at first, Mike Zarella, owner of the Stumble Inn Bar and Grill in Londonderry, told WMUR-TV. The tab was $37.93 before the tip.

“It was on the credit card statement, they put it down next to the register and he said three times, ‘Don’t spend it all in one place.’” He said one staffer then flipped it over and looked, “and she’s like, ‘Oh my god, are you serious?’ And he said, ’I want you to have it, you guys work hard.’”

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Zarella thought it was a mistake, but the bar manager talked to the customer, who said it wasn’t. He also wished to remain anonymous.

The restaurant closed for a few months during the pandemic and adjusted with take-out orders and outdoor dining.

The crew planned to pay it forward to their fellow employees.

“The back of the house works really hard, the kitchen, they’re giving them a big tip out of that, which is very generous of them to do,” Zarella said.
Jun 24th, 2021, 1:52 am
Jun 24th, 2021, 2:59 am
Bank Error Leaves Woman $50 Billion in Debt After Night Out
Posted on June 23, 2021 *

• Imagine waking up with a hangover and seeing this.

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You always get a bit nervous when you check your bank account after a night out. Unless you’re a real party animal, though, you don’t usually have to go into debt from having a few drinks… At least we hope.

But when Californian Maddie McGivern logged into her Chase online bank account on June 20, a particularly hilarious number awaited her. According to the Chase phone app, her account showed an overdrawn balance of just a couple hundred short of $50 billion.

A TikTok video posted by McGivern’s friend explains that she and McGivern had gone out to the bar the night before. The video shows McGivern’s understandably terrified reaction.

“I swear to god it says negative $49 billion. What do I do? Negative $49 billion!” she yells in the video.

Another video posted a while later depicts a still distraught McGivern wondering what her life is going to be like now.

“I am $50 billion dollars in debt. What do you do when you’re $50 billion dollars in debt?” she laments.

Luckily, the astronomical debt was only an error. McGivern got everything fixed, and soon her bank account showed the correct balance of $76, with $681 spent on her night out.

Wait. That’s really not… That’s not good, is it?

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“The margarita cost HOW MUCH?”

Can I Put You on Hold?’

According to McGivern, though, it wasn’t the easiest to get her $50 billion debt updated to the more realistic $600. She goes further into the ordeal with videos on her own TikTok page.

“I wish I could say I bought the city of Los Angeles. It’s not the case here,” she says.

“I’m not really sure what inclined me to check my bank account at like 2 a.m. But I did,” she adds.

McGivern says that once she saw the erroneous debt, she called Chase bank. Which sounds like about the thing you should be doing in that situation.

According to McGivern, the discussion with the Chase representative was awkward to say the least.

“Hi, I’m negative 50 billion dollars in debt, and I’m not quite sure why,” she started the conversation.

When the representative asked if she had $50 billion, McGivern responded no, she had $76.

“Can I put you on hold? I’ve never seen this before,” she heard after a moment of silence.

After some waiting, McGivern was told that her account was scheduled to receive $50 billion — by the year 2099. She said that “would be sick,” but she wasn’t exactly sure if she was going to be alive at that point.

The issue couldn’t be resolved over the phone, and the representative asked McGivern to come into the branch the following day. After that, though, she luckily got her account updated.

‘Fix Your S***’

McGivern says that the issue was caused by changes Chase implemented into their banking system. Customers had to change their account type, but if they neglected to do so, they started seeing some fascinating numbers.

“I will say it’s a scary as s*** way to grab someone’s attention. Clearly, they do that to grab your attention, because they want you to fix your s***,” said McGivern in another TikTok video.

“But it’s fixed and that’s all that matters. So no, I’m not 50 billion dollars in debt anymore, thank God.”

Chase confirmed that the McGivern’s outrageous debt was a result of a “technical glitch” that impacted “a limited number of accounts.” The bank says the issue has resolved and accounts are back to their accurate balances.

A Sudden Billionaire

More people than just McGivern had issues with Chase on the same weekend, though. In one case, however, the result was the exact opposite.

Julia Yonkowski, from Largo, Florida, discovered on June 19, that her savings had suddenly increased. When she went to withdraw $20 at her local Chase branch, her account showed a balance of nearly $1 billion.

“I was horrified. I know most people would think they won the lottery, but I was horrified,” Yonkowski said.

Yonkowski said that she hadn’t touched her account since she saw the balance.

“I’ve read stories about people that took the money or took out money, and then they had to repay it, and I wouldn’t do that anyway because it’s not my money,” she said.

The following day – the day McGivern discovered her debt – Yonkowski tried calling Chase several times. However, their phone lines were completely clogged and she couldn’t get through.

When she finally got to visit her branch on Tuesday, she found out something fascinating. She wasn’t actually billionaire – the account was supposed to show a debt of a billion dollars.

Apparently, when Chase lock a bank account for suspicious activity, the change the account balance to show a negative $1 billion as a fraud prevention measure. Yonkowski’s husband had recently died, but the bank hadn’t received the proper documentation about it.

As a result, when Yonkowski tried withdrawing her $20, the system flagged the transaction as fraudulent. She said that the incident should be a learning experience.

Maybe Chase could try to get their act together, though.
Jun 24th, 2021, 2:59 am

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Jun 24th, 2021, 11:56 am
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I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
THURSDAY JUNE 24

What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

EXAMPLE POST
Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag
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A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You can post as many stories as you like, but you will only get paid for One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can only earn WRZ$ once a day.
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -5)
2:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)

on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life :lol:
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them short, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories :lol: :lol: :lol:

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
All payments will be made at THE END of the weekly news cycle.
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS


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Jun 24th, 2021, 11:56 am

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Jun 24th, 2021, 12:07 pm
Man who died 3,000 years ago with 790 injuries is earliest known shark attack victim
Wednesday 23 June 2021 23:33, UK
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Archaeologists have recreated the brutal death of the earliest known shark attack victim who was killed around 3,000 years ago.

Oxford-led researchers have been investigating evidence for violent trauma on the skeletal remains of prehistoric hunter-gatherers at Kyoto University

Alyssa White and Professor Rick Schulting reviewed the remains of a man riddled with traumatic injuries from the previously excavated site of Tsukumo by the Seto Inland Sea.

In their report, the pair said: "We were initially flummoxed by what could have caused at least 790 deep, serrated injuries to this man.

"There were so many injuries and yet he was buried in the community burial ground…

"The injuries were mainly confined to the arms, legs, and front of the chest and abdomen.

"Through a process of elimination, we ruled out human conflict and more commonly-reported animal predators or scavengers."

The team concluded the man, known as No 24, died between 1370 to 1010 BC.

No 24's body had been recovered soon after the attack and buried with his people at the cemetery.

"The man may well have been fishing with companions at the time, since he was recovered quickly.

"And, based on the character and distribution of the tooth marks, the most likely species responsible was either a tiger or white shark."
Jun 24th, 2021, 12:07 pm
Jun 24th, 2021, 12:19 pm
Elderly Woman Injured in Hospital Told to Call Ambulance
By Christina Ng


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A hospital would seem the safest place to get hurt, but that assumption proved false for 82-year-old Doreen Wallace of Niagara Falls, Ontario.

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When Wallace fell and broke her hip earlier this month in the lobby of the Greater Niagara General Hospital, she assumed she would be quickly taken care of, but that was not the case, according to the Toronto Star.

Instead, she was told to call an ambulance.

“It was horrible. It really was,” Wallace told the Star. “Everybody who walked through the door stopped and stared at me.”

Wallace had been leaving the hospital after visiting her ailing husband when she fell. As she lay face down on a metal grate with a cut arm and broken hip, two nurses from the emergency room reportedly refused to help until paramedics arrived.

“I was inside the hospital,” Wallace said. “Why did they have to wait for an ambulance to come and pick me up?”

Wallace spent almost 30 minutes on the ground before a passing surgeon moved her into a wheelchair to await help.

“I was floored,” Wallace’s son Mike Wallace told the Toronto Star. “We’re probably, maybe, like a 50-yard walk, literally down to the emergency department.”

The hospital said the situation was the result of a communication problem among staff members and possibly an old rule that required an ambulance to be called, according to the Star.

“I was disappointed this week to learn of a situation where a family did not receive the standard of care they deserved after their mother fell in the entrance area of our Niagara Falls site,” Niagara Health System Supervisor Dr. Kevin Smith wrote in a statement.

“In response to this latest incident, and to ensure clarity to all members of our health care team, I have conveyed to NHS leadership that our policy for response to any visitor in distress will be to ensure a rapid response and transport to the most appropriate clinical setting,” Smith wrote.

Wallace is recovering and waiting for an apology.

“All I want is that if this happens again, nobody’s treated like that,” she said.
Jun 24th, 2021, 12:19 pm

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Jun 24th, 2021, 12:23 pm
I'm over here, guys! Tiger appears bemused as tourists look the other direction after it quietly emerged from trees right in front of their car

* The tiger turned its head to stare at the tourists who were looking the wrong way
* Bengal tiger appeared to be baffled as to why the group had not noticed him
* Tourists missed the chance to picture the tiger which appeared a matter of feet away from their truck in Rathambore National Park in Rajasthan, India


This is the moment a tiger appeared to be bemused as a group of tourists carrying cameras looked in the opposite direction after the animal quietly emerged in front of their car. The male Bengal tiger was pictured a matter of feet away from the group's truck - but the sightseers missed the moment of a lifetime to picture the spectacular creature by looking the wrong way. The animal turned his head to look back at the tourists and appeared to be baffled as to why they had not noticed him when he emerged from the trees moments earlier.

Wildlife photographer Arpit Kubba managed to picture the bewildered tiger looking back at the distracted group of sightseers during their visit to Rathambore National Park in Rajasthan, India.

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The male Bengal tiger turned his head to stare at the group who were looking the wrong way -
and missing the moment of a lifetime to picture the spectacular creature which appeared a matter of feet away from their truck


Mr Kubba said the group had been distracted by another tiger they had spotted in the bushes by the side of the road. 'The interesting thing here is that everyone is looking behind and no one seems interested in this tiger,' Mr Kubba said. 'But the reason was his brother was in plain sight, but this cunning fellow just very silently came out onto the road without anyone behind him spotting him.'

He added: 'It was a great feeling to capture this tiger on camera with an interesting image. Usually we see pictures from India with all the tourists looking towards the tiger, but here you see the opposite.'

According to latest figures there are now around 70 tigers in Rathambore National Park in India, increasing from just 25 in 2005. Across the country, there are more than 3,000 tigers. Bengal tigers are still under threat due to pressures from poaching, hunting and from conflict with human populations.

In a similar scenario, a group of whale watchers nearly missed a rare moment when a sneaky whale popped up right behind their boat as they looked in the opposite direction.

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Photos taken from another vessel show the stealthy whale poking its rostrum out from beneath the water
as the group face forward, pointing their cameras at the open ocean ahead of them in anticipation


The group were pictured waiting patiently with their cameras poised, but very nearly missed the spectacular encounter by looking the wrong way while the whale surfaced just feet away from their boat. Fortunately, the sightseers turned around in their boat just in the nick of time to spot the huge humpback whale, before she disappeared back into the ocean's depths, sparking scenes of celebration on the skiff. Photos taken from another vessel show the stealthy whale poking its rostrum out from beneath the water as the group face forward, pointing their cameras at the open ocean ahead of them in anticipation.

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But before the creature could disappear into the sea again, the whale watchers spotted her at the last second,
with a second photograph showing their jubilation at the close encounter


But before the creature could disappear into the sea again, the whale watchers spotted her at the last second, with a second photograph showing their jubilation at the close encounter. One woman standing on the boat is shown throwing her arms into the air to celebrate, while the other sightseers sit open mouthed in surprise and click away on their cameras.

Source

(Note: That first encounter could have turned into Meals on Wheels) :lol:
Jun 24th, 2021, 12:23 pm

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Jun 24th, 2021, 1:06 pm
Yemeni Fishermen Hit Jackpot With $1.5 Million Find in Belly of Floating Sperm Whale Carcass

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As described by anyone who experiences an unexplainable stroke of luck, “it was just another day” for a group of poor Yemeni fishermen heading out into the Gulf of Aden to earn their living.

But lady luck delivered a lump of precious ambergris, a unique substance found in the bellies of sperm whales, into their hands when they happened upon a floating whale carcass.

For obvious reasons, the last Good News Network story in which Yemen or the Yemenis were the spotlight was published in 2011. But with this once-in-a-lifetime find for 35 Yemeni fisherman, the poorest country in the Middle East just got a bit richer.

26 kilometers off the coast of the southern port city of Aden, a dead sperm whale was hooked up to some fishing vessels and dragged ashore. An inspection of the whale’s interior revealed a 280-pound lump of “floating gold,” or ambergris, a substance used to stabilize fragrances in perfumes.

Produced in the intestines of sperm whales, ambergris protects the lining of the intestines from the sharp beaks of the squid which make up the majority of their diet.

Over time it’s also been used as a flavoring agent in liquor and coffee, and as an incense in ancient China, Egypt, and elsewhere.

Al-Araby reports that an Emirati businessman bought the ambergris for $1.5 million, an unimaginable sum of money for most fishermen in the world, let alone those in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Furthermore, while one might imagine this story ending in tragedy or corruption considering the desperate state the country is in, the money was shared among the 35 men—who decided to give a portion towards helping their community.

“From one moment to another, our lives changed,” one of the fishermen, named Abdulhakeem, told AFP. “There are those who bought boats, others built or fixed their houses. I built my house; I built my future.”

“We are simple people: fishermen looking for our catch every day,” said Salim Sharf, another of the 35 lucky men, to AFP. “If you found your catch for the day you thank God. Suddenly, the Most Merciful gave us this.“

Citing an old phrase, Abdulhakeem notes that for most men the sea and its bounty are better neighbors even than a king. For these lucky 35, that’s certainly true.
Jun 24th, 2021, 1:06 pm

Twitter: Fatima99@fatima99_mobi
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Jun 24th, 2021, 3:56 pm
Popeyes Introduces New ‘I Don’t Know Meal’ For Undecided Eaters

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Don’t know what you want to eat? Popeyes comes to the rescue with the new “I Don’t Know Meal” at participating locations.

Touted as “The perfect meal when your partner doesn’t know what to eat,” the I Don’t Know Meal (IDK) includes the brand’s fan-favorite Chicken Sandwich paired with a free premium lemonade when ordered online or via the app. Simply select the deal in the offers section online or in the brand’s mobile app.

The I Don’t Know Meal can be found at participating locations nationwide for a limited time starting June 24, 2021.

source: https://www.chewboom.com/2021/06/23/pop ... ed-eaters/
Jun 24th, 2021, 3:56 pm

Twitter @HgwrtzExprss
Join Mobilism Discord server to get instant updates on contests: https://discord.gg/JqD2wAWSGw

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Jun 24th, 2021, 5:01 pm
'Pouring out happiness': Massive colourful mural on Toronto patio celebrates pandemic reopening

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TORONTO -- 45,000 square feet of colour has been splashed onto a downtown Toronto parking lot turned patio to welcome people back into the core after months of lockdown.

RendezViews, located at 229 Richmond Street West is a social gathering space inside an extra-large mural. It pays homage to the pandemic’s reopening — aimed at tapping into our collective hope, joy, rebirth.

It been weeks of work for visual artists and parents Bruno Smoky and Shalak Attack — designing and painting their piece called Reflections.

“Even to accept it, we were like, ‘Can we call you later? We’re going to have to brainstorm here,” said visual artist Bruno Smoky. “It was incredible.”

“We wanted to celebrate the coming out, the re-entering into the world,” said visual artist Shalak Attack. “There’s been so much happening in the last two years both with COVID and politically and socially. We just wanted to bring colour. The things that inspire us and the way that we see ourselves so an inner reflection and a reflection of the community.”

Eighty-four painted picnic tables invite people to enjoy a drink, food and a Euro Cup game. A project created out of a community spirit.

Collective Arts Brewing curated the mural.

The two entertainment businesses on either side of the patio, The Fifth and Ballroom are sharing the space to serve customers.

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"Certain parts of the economy, like the hospitality industry have been absolutely decimated and so this past winter I was thinking more and more about how can I elevate this space and do something really special. How can we help bring back the vibrancy of downtown toronto which has obviously been gutted with all off our office towers not being occupied,” said The Fifth owner Oliver Geddes.

“The space is beautiful. We wanted something that brings back life in Toronto, brings back to life the entertainment district.” said Ballroom managing partner Barry Taylor.

“We’re all about creativity and collaboration and just great times and just after a long 18-months and being outside socially distanced, having a great time. There’s nothing better,” said Matt Johnston, co-founder and CEO of Collective Arts Brewing.

The art-filled patio is also possible thanks to the City of Toronto purchasing the land in January 2020 for $100,000,000. The site is part of a planned development which set is to turn the surface lot into a park.

The city told CTV News Toronto a below-grade parking facility, to be operated and funded by the Toronto Parking Authority, will also be included in the block plan.

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Relishing the experience — people on the patio. After months of hibernation, it’s a chance to connect in person surrounded by vivid views.

“I love the colour and I love that everyone comes together for the football game. It’s amazing. I’m really happy I’m here,” said customer Veronique Pilote.

“I’ll I can say is thank you Toronto. It was a long journey. And we did it,” said customer Abraham Saidylaigh

“It’s just mind blogging,” he said referencing the mural. “It’s makes me want to go back to school and be an artist. It’s just amazing.”

Spreading happiness and togetherness, a win-win for people soaking it in and those behind the project.

“For me it’s a pleasure and a huge gratitude. I’m super thankful to be able to do something like this. Planting little seeds around it does cause an impact. Once you plant a whole garden like this, it really is a pleasure seeing it come together,” said Smoky.

Artists Smoky and Attack explained the mural includes their daughter Violetta and Smoky’s friend, Joey who died of COVID-19 his native country of Brazil.

“It’s actually very empowering to be in this space. It’s a very positive bubble. I think when you’re here you feel wrapped in colour and I think people are really feeling that. I think there’s a euphoric feeling not only because of the colours and the space, because of the timing. People are so happy. And it’s just so great to see everybody coming together and people are pouring out happiness because they haven’t see anybody.”

The patio is open for reservations 48 hours prior to game day and walk-ins are also being accepted.
Jun 24th, 2021, 5:01 pm

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Buzz is the best doggo ever.
Jun 24th, 2021, 5:27 pm
Ant trapped in ancient amber with parasitic mushroom stuck in its butt
That's one way to go down in history.

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About 50 million years ago, this ant got stuck in tree resin that also preserved the parasitic fungus that was giving it a hard time.

Stay with me here. Scientists found an ant trapped in 50-million-year old amber, but it wasn't alone. It had a parasitic fungus that grew a mushroom out of its rectum. I know this sounds gross, but I promise it's cool, scientifically speaking.

The amber came from the Baltic region of Europe and contains a carpenter ant. In a statement on Wednesday, Oregon State University said the discovery is "the oldest known specimen of a fungus parasitizing an ant, and the fossil also represents a new fungal genus and species."

Amber like this offers a pretty literal window into the past. The frozen moment in time represents a very bad day for the ant, but also for the fungus that wasn't able to continue spreading. It was, however, a win for scientists.

OSU amber expert George Poinar Jr. is the lead author of a study on the ant and fungus published in the journal Fungal Biology. Poinar is familiar to amber fans for his research into everything from "mold pigs" to oddball insects that have been trapped and preserved in fossilized tree resin.

The fungus bears a resemblance to known fungus species that target ants, but the emergence of the mushroom from the butt rather than the neck or head is part of what led the researchers to declare it a new discovery. The study authors named the fungus "Allocordyceps baltica" in a nod to its geographic origin.

"This is the first fossil record of a member of the Hypocreales order emerging from the body of an ant," Poinar said. "And as the earliest fossil record of fungal parasitism of ants, it can be used in future studies as a reference point regarding the origin of the fungus-ant association."

You don't need to be a fungus or ant researcher to appreciate this fascinating view into insect history. It has a horror-story-like attraction, like Alien, but with an ant instead of a person. And a rectal mushroom instead of a chest-bursting alien baby. Close enough.

https://www.cnet.com/news/ant-trapped-i ... -its-butt/
Jun 24th, 2021, 5:27 pm

Exodus A.D.: A Warning to Civilians by Paul Troubetzkoy [10000 WRZ$] Reward!
https://forum.mobilism.org/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=5556807
Jun 24th, 2021, 5:30 pm
Nurse Whose Husband Died of COVID Is on a Door-to-Door Vaccine Crusade: 'I Can Help Save Others'

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Carla Brown is now working to help the elderly and underserved

A Louisiana nurse who lost her husband to COVID-19 is channeling her grief into helping others fight off the virus - and she's doing it one door at a time.

Carla Brown tells PEOPLE she has wanted to help save the lives of others ever since her husband David died from COVID-19 in July 2020.

Seven months from that heartbreaking day, Brown - who currently works as a nurse at Canon Hospice - has embarked on a mission to make it happen.

Joined by her coworker Missy Hastings, Brown goes door-to-door in her hometown of Baton Rouge, helping the elderly, the homebound and those without cell phones or internet access obtain the COVID-19 vaccine.

In just four months alone, the pair have helped vaccinate 1,100 people in their community, and hope to reach a goal of 2,000 by the end of summer.

"[My husband] was the love of my life," Brown, 62, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "I couldn't save David. But I can help save others - and that's what I'm trying to do."

"The Lord rides on Miss Carla's shoulders," adds Hastings, 47, who works as Canon Hospice's office manager. "We're both just trying to make a difference in our little section of the world."

Brown says she was working as a nurse at a Baton Rouge psychiatric hospital in May 2020 when she unknowingly contracted COVID-19 and brought it home to her family.

As the pandemic raged out of control, Brown watched helplessly as her 90-year-old father, 67-year-old brother and 67-year-old husband all became infected with COVID-19.

Eventually, all three men ended up in the hospital - but while her dad and brother ultimately recovered and made it home, David died on July 17 after seven weeks on a ventilator.

"It was devastating," says Brown. "My husband survived cancer two times, but not COVID. And because of COVID restrictions, I couldn't be with him or even hold his hand."

"After knowing I was the reason he got sick, I wanted to do something to help other people," she adds. "I wanted to make sure they could get vaccinated."

On any given day or night, Brown and Hastings can be seen hitting the streets after work in Brown's red Toyota Scion.

Armed with vials of the Moderna vaccine, provided to them by a local pharmacy they've partnered with, the women - known as "the COVID Crusaders" - stop at each front door and ask the residents if they're interested in getting the vaccine.

"We're targeting the elderly and those who are underserved," explains Brown, who also holds events where people can come get the vaccine.

While they've generally been successful in their efforts, Brown notes that "we get told no all the time."

"Especially in the Black community, there is a lot of mistrust of the medical community," Brown says.

Although Louisiana was hit hard by the virus last year, the state now has one of the nation's lowest vaccination rates - but Brown and Hastings are hoping to change that.

"When they see medical professionals who look like them, and we tell them to get the shot, they're more inclined to listen," she explains. "We are very persistent. We will stay and talk as long as we can. We've had a lot of success in turning people around."

So far, Brown and Hastings have managed to use each and every vial they've been given.

The women also check back with each vaccine recipient to make sure no one's had an adverse reaction. (None have, thus far.)

"The miracle of this is, with the help of the Lord, we have not had to waste one dose," Brown explains. "There are 10 doses in one vial. Every week, we have someone cancel out, and someone comes in to take that dose. We feel like every dose is an opportunity to save a life."

As they continue to work towards administering 2,000 vaccines by summer's end - a goal they're on track to hit - Brown isn't taking a single moment for granted.

"It's a great feeling to see people get the shot," she says. "We want to get as many people vaccinated as we can and it's a great feeling knowing we are part of that."

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Jun 24th, 2021, 5:30 pm

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Jun 24th, 2021, 5:41 pm
Is Space Tourism the Future of the Travel Industry? Jeff Bezos Thinks So

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Virgin Galactic’s VSS spaceship. Virgin Galactic, headed by Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group, hopes to offer commercial trips to space in the future.

The new London-based travel agency RocketBreaks aims to be the go-to resource for those seeking the luxury and adventure of commercial space tourism.

The development of cutting-edge spaceship technology from companies like Virgin Galactic, combined with the rabid interest of billionaires like Jeff Bezos, have opened the gates to the dawn of commercial space travel, and with it, the space travel tourist industry.

RocketBreaks offers a package that may remind you of the familiar all-inclusives provided for tourists visiting remote foreign countries: they arrange your flights, living quarters, and dining.

Their service is indeed modeled after the familiar terrestrial tourist experience, but with adaptations for outer space: as well as all of the aforementioned amenities, they also train guests in how to handle the climate of space, as well as offering day trips into space and thrilling zero-gravity experiences.

The company Orion Span plans to open the Aurora Station hotel, a destination where RocketBreaks will also book prospective space tourists to stay. The hotel will orbit Earth for periods of 12 days, carrying four travelers and two crew members.

If you are serious about taking the trip of a lifetime in the most foreign of landscapes, you will have to prove you are physically up to the task.

RocketBreaks requires you train beforehand, at one of their partner’s training centers, in order to be ready to face the challenges of being in space. Once you are physically prepared for the trip, you can add your name to the waitlist of those interested in commercial space travel.

But don’t be surprised if the list is star-studded.

Jeff Bezos will launch space tourism next month

If the prospect of visiting outer space for your next adventure sounds enticing to you, you’re not alone. Some of the world’s leading businessmen and biggest names in technology are vying for the chance to either play a role in the creation of the technology for outer space tourism, or become space tourists themselves.

In the case of the Amazon CEO and world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos, those two desires will become a reality next month as he ventures into space with brother Mark Bezos in the “New Shepard” rocket he developed with his space exploration firm “Blue Origin.”

The New Shepard program is named after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to go into space.

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend,” Bezos wrote on Instagram.

He added: “To see the earth from space — it changes you.”

The Bezos brothers, one auction winner who paid $28 million for the privilege, and a fourth person will become the first crew aboard the reusable rocket for its 11-minute voyage into space.

Bezos, along with Richard Branson with his Virgin Galactic, wants to expand space tourism, a vision that stands in stark contrast to Elon Musk. The SpaceX CEO has long touted his goal to make humanity into a multi-planetary species. This would start with a city on Mars by the year 2050.

Petitions for Bezos to stay away from Earth
His astonishing wealth has created a lot of admirers — but there also many who dislike him. As soon as he announced his intention to fly to space, at least two petitions were launched to try and prevent the billionaire’s re-entry to Earth that have both garnered thousands of followers.

More than 37,000 people have signed one Change.org petition titled: “Do not allow Jeff Bezos to return to Earth.”

“Billionaire’s (sic) should not exist…on earth, or in space, but should they decide the latter they should stay there,” the petition’s description said.

Another petition, called “Petition To Not Allow Jeff Bezos Re-Entry To Earth,” has accumulated more than 19,000 signatures and is quickly gaining traction.

Jose Ortiz, who set up the petition, said in the description that Bezos is “an evil overlord hellbent on global domination.”

“The fate of humanity is in your hands,” Ortiz added.
Jun 24th, 2021, 5:41 pm
Jun 24th, 2021, 6:16 pm
See the Strange, Beautiful Landscapes of Washington State Revealed by Lasers

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Staggering images taken from planes using forest-penetrating radar are mapping the geology of Washington state.

Intriguing, artsy, beautiful, and outright bizarre, “The Bare Earth” presentation on the Washington state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website uses shading and added color to present underlying geological features like lava flows, glacial moraines, drumlins, tsunami inundation, mudslides, eruptions, fault lines, river patterns, and much, much more.

LIDAR, which stands for Light, Detection and Ranging, is a laser-guided mapping system that fire billions of laser pulses at an object, and like sonar or radar, gathers information about the object as the beams return. The information in this case is the time it takes each pulse to arrive back.

Some of the light is reflected off the tree tops, but enough will reach the ground below to reveal the underlying geography as if the trees simply didn’t exist. The light also penetrates the soil strata, meaning that while the first reading of the return pulse indicates the surface topography, the final return pulse is the bare earth below, giving unparalleled pictures of the landscape.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/lidar-r ... l-hazards/
Jun 24th, 2021, 6:16 pm
Jun 24th, 2021, 6:25 pm
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Smart traffic lights that tell motorists how fast to drive to avoid a red light could be rolled out across Britain after trial finds they cut emissions by a QUARTER

The lights work by communicating with a special dashboard-mounted display
Should a driver get caught at a red, they display a countdown till the next change
Highways England and Amey ran trials with two vehicles in Greater Manchester
By safely cutting down on unnecessary stops, emissions levels were lowered
Specifically, emissions of CO₂ dropped by 27% and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 17%

By Ian Randall For Mailonline

Published: 07:02 EDT, 22 June 2021 | Updated: 07:38 EDT, 22 June 2021

Feeling like you hit all the red lights on your commute could become a thing of the past, thanks to smart traffic lights that tell you how fast to drive to safely pass them.

The lights work by communicating with a dashboard-mounted display — much like a satnav — which then displays the speed needed to safely beat the light change.

And should the driver end up stuck at a red signal anyway, the display instead receives and displays information on how long it will be until the next green light.

The smart lights are capable of relaying information to appropriately-equipped cars from a distance of up to around two-thirds of a mile (or one kilometre).

In tests by Highways England and infrastructure consultants Amey, the lights were found to reduce vehicle emissions by a quarter by eliminating unnecessary stops.

Emissions can rise when vehicles are revved from stationary — and cutting down on this lowered CO₂ and NOx output levels by up to 27 and 17 per cent, respectively.

Around seven million people die prematurely because of air pollution every year — with 40,000 of these early deaths occurring in Britain alone.

The concept — which is known as a 'Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory' — has previously been tested on the A2 and M2 in southeast England and on the the A45 Coventry Road from Birmingham.

The latest trial, which ran for four months and cost £825,000, saw smart lights tested on two motorways in the Greater Manchester area — the A627(M) and the M66.

Tests involved two different vehicles — a van and a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) — which made some 400 trips in total to assess their emissions impact both with and without the smart technology.

The largest emissions reductions were seen with the HGV, the researchers reported, as these vehicles typically produce more air pollution in the first place.

'Though we have still some work to do to qualify the initial data, we are very excited at the early results,' Highways England's director of innovation Paul Doney explained to the Times.

'By using connected technology to optimise a vehicle’s speed at junctions, it’s an opportunity to not only reduce pollutants, including carbon emissions, but to give a better experience to customers as well,' he added.

According to Mr Doney, Highways England will be further analysing the trial data before considering whether to roll out the smart lights for widespread use.
'By allowing drivers to regulate their speed, to co-ordinate with traffic-light timing, it will also minimise being stopped by a red light, easing frustration and saving motorists fuel,' Amey's technical director for intelligent mobility, Paul Rose, told the Times

Amey's technical director for intelligent mobility, Paul Rose, told the Times that the new smart light system would be easy for local councils and highway authorities to introduce to help limit traffic-related air pollution.

'This can be achieved without the need for significant amounts of new infrastructure.'
Jun 24th, 2021, 6:25 pm