If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. UK officials are preparing to urge Apple and Google to redesign their operating systems so that every phone and computer sold in the country can automatically block nude imagery unless the user has proved they are an adult. The proposal, part of the Home Office’s upcoming plan under the premise of combating violence against women and girls, would rely on technology built directly into devices, with software capable of scanning images locally to detect material. Under the plan, as reported by FT, such scanning would be turned on by default. Anyone wanting to take, send, or open an explicit photo would first have to verify their age using a government-issued ID or a biometric check. The goal, officials say, is to prevent children from being exposed to sexual material or drawn into exploitative exchanges online. People briefed on the discussions said the Home Office had explored the possibility of making these tools a legal requirement but decided, for now, to rely on encouragement rather than legislation. Even so, the expectation is that large manufacturers will come under intense pressure to comply. The government’s approach reflects growing anxiety about how easily minors can access sexual content and how grooming can occur through everyday apps. Instead of copying Australia’s decision to ban social media use for under-16s, British ministers have chosen to focus on controlling imagery itself. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has praised technology firms that already filter content at the device level. She cited HMD Global, maker of Nokia phones, for embedding child-protection software called HarmBlock, created by UK-based SafeToNet, which automatically blocks explicit images from being viewed or shared. Apple and Google have built smaller-scale systems of their own. Apple’s “Communication Safety” function scans photos in apps like Messages, AirDrop, and FaceTime and warns children when nudity is detected, but teens can ignore the alert. Google’s Family Link and “sensitive content warnings” work similarly on Android, though they stop short of scanning across all apps. Both companies allow parents to apply restrictions, but neither has a universal filter that covers the entire operating system. The Home Office wants to go further, calling for a system that would block any nude image unless an adult identity check has been passed. More: UK Lawmakers Propose Mandatory On-Device Surveillance and VPN Age Verification Officials have also indicated that desktop computers could eventually be included, noting that products such as Microsoft Teams already screen for content. Privacy and data rights advocates have raised alarms about the implications of linking biometric verification to content scanning. Although the analysis could happen locally on the device, it would still involve the system continuously examining personal photos and videos. Such a setup could move ordinary private devices toward a model of constant surveillance, with algorithms monitoring every image a person creates. There are also questions about enforcement and reliability. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post The UK’s Plan to Put an Age Verification Chaperone in Every Pocket appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. This week in the UK, Parliament held a debate in response to a public petition that gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for the repeal of the Online Safety Act (OSA). It was a rare opportunity for elected officials to prove they still listen to their constituents. Instead, the overwhelming message from MPs was clear: thanks for your concern, but we’d actually like even more control over what you can do online. One by one, MPs stood up not to defend free expression, or question whether one of the most radical internet control laws in modern British history might have gone too far, but to argue that it hadn’t gone far enough. “It’s Not Censorship, It’s Responsibility” (Apparently) Lizzi Collinge, Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, insisted the OSA “is not about controlling speech.” She claimed it was about giving the online world the same “safety features” as the offline one. This was a recurring theme throughout the debate: reassure the public that speech isn’t being restricted while calling for more mechanisms to restrict it. Ian Murray, Minister for Digital Government and Data, also insisted the OSA protects freedom of expression. According to him, there’s no contradiction in saying people can speak freely, as long as they’re age-verified, avoid VPNs, and don’t say anything that might be flagged by a government regulator. It’s a neat trick. Say you support free speech, then build an entire law designed to monitor, filter, and police it. VPNs in the Firing Line There is a growing fixation inside government with VPNs. These are basic privacy tools used by millions of people every day, often to protect their data. But several MPs, including Jim McMahon, Julia Lopez, and Ian Murray, suggested VPNs should be subject to age verification or regulatory restrictions. It’s unclear whether these MPs understand how VPNs work or if they simply dislike the idea of anyone browsing the internet without supervision. Either way, the intent is clear. The government wants fewer ways for people to browse anonymously. More: From Madison to Moscow: How VPNs Work and Why Governments (Despite Trying) Can’t Stop Them The AI Panic Button Several MPs were clearly rattled by the existence of AI chatbots and called for new censorship powers to rein them in. Manuela Perteghella warned that the OSA “leaves a significant gap” around generative AI, claiming children are at risk from private conversations with bots. Ann Davies said the government wasn’t moving quickly enough to regulate this emerging technology. Lola McEvoy, meanwhile, called for bots to be labelled clearly so users would know when they’re talking to a machine. She also demanded stronger age verification. The idea that every website should identify bots like they’re wearing a hi-vis jacket is a perfect metaphor for how Parliament thinks the internet should work. Censorship as Cure-All Jim McMahon gave the clearest call for wider censorship. He argued the current OSA doesn’t do enough to tackle foreign influence, misinformation, racism, misogyny, and hate. He also claimed major platforms are suppressing “mainstream opinion” in favor of falsehoods. Emily Darlington, MP for Milton Keynes Central, joined the call for greater platform moderation. She said platforms should be able to remove false claims, even offering a bizarre example of someone saying she has pink eyes. “Somebody could post that I am actually purple and have pink eyes,” she said. “I would say, ‘I don’t want you to say that,’ and the platform would say, ‘But there’s nothing offensive about it.’ I would say, ‘But it’s not me.’ The thing is that this is happening in much more offensive ways.” Her larger point was that online slander should be taken down by force if necessary. She also supported end-to-end encryption backdoors, which would allow private messages to be scanned before being sent. A Lone Voice in the Wilderness Lewis Atkinson, Labour MP for Sunderland Central, did raise some concerns. He said he spoke with petition creator Alex Baynham and acknowledged the chilling effect of the OSA on small forums and community websites. He noted that 300 forums had already shut down or migrated to larger platforms like Facebook because of legal risk. He mentioned a Sunderland AFC message board admin who almost closed the site due to the overwhelming volume of guidance from Ofcom. But even with all this evidence in front of him, Atkinson couldn’t bring himself to support repeal. Instead, he hedged, suggesting reform would be more realistic than repeal. He backed several of the OSA’s key features, including stronger age verification. What This Debate Actually Revealed This was not a debate in any meaningful sense. It was a full-throated defense of a law that is already doing damage to online spaces and a promise that more is coming. MPs didn’t engage seriously with the petition. They didn’t question whether the OSA is overreaching or whether it might be driving smaller forums offline. They mostly ignored the fact that the law makes the internet harder to navigate unless you’re a large company with a legal department. Instead, they said the OSA is working well and that it needs more teeth. They want to control AI, crack down on VPNs, regulate encryption, and force companies to implement more age verification. The public might be concerned about censorship, surveillance, and freedom of expression. But the mood in Westminster is very different. They don’t want to repeal the OSA. In fact, their attack on civil liberties is only just getting started. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post UK Parliament Rejects Petition to Repeal Online Censorship Law, Calls for Expanded Censorship appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Dugan Told Fellow Judge She Was In the Doghouse Because She 'Tried to Help That Guy'

Hours after the Monday edition of ABC’s Good Morning America refused to ascribe motive to the attack in Sydney, Australia on a Hanukkah celebration or label it either anti-Semitism or radical Islamic terror, the network’s flagship evening newscast World News Tonight and Tuesday’s Good Morning America promptly engaged in a serious clean-up mode. Hong Kong-based correspondent Britt Clennett arrived to take over the Sydney coverage and immediately hit the right notes: CLEAN-UP on aisle 'World News Tonight' -- ABC foreign correspondent Britt Clennett immediately does a 180 in Sydney from the Faith Abubey segment on 'Good Morning America' in using the word anti-Semitism and tying the shooters to ISIS and radical Islam pic.twitter.com/GGPawY1pe3 — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 16, 2025   “[N]ew details on the father and son who authorities say carried out that anti-Semitic massacre at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach....Tonight, law enforcement sources telling ABC News the two shooters are 50-year old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed. Sources say they pledged allegiance to ISIS, and shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ while opening fire. Authorities say two ISIS flags, weapons, and IEDs were recovered,” she reported before focusing on the victims. Clennett also surfaced on Tuesday’s Good Morning America to share Australians were “holding vigils for the 15 people killed in that anti-Semitic attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.” She reiterated the claims about the Islamists having expressed support for ISIS with ISIS flags in their car and IEDs having been recovered, but backed down on the part about “Allahu Akbar.” “The son was previously investigated for possible ties to a Sydney-based, ISIS-linked group but officials don’t believe the father and son were part of a wider cell,” she added. Monday’s NBC Nightly News also shifted towards reality in comparison to Today. Anchor Tom Llamas announced a pivot to “that deadly anti-Semitic terror attack in Australia” and former longtime NBC correspondent Sara James — who lives in Australia as the head of Fulbright Australia — covered the “new video showing the horror” as “two terrorists unleashed an anti-Semitic rampage.” “[I]t comes after a growing number of recent disturbing anti-Semitic attacks in Australia, including a Melbourne synagogue fire bombed, a Jewish deli set ablaze, Jewish homes vandalized, and cars burned. Jewish residents say the government has ignored warning signs,” she added. Like Clennett, James returned on Tuesday’s Today. Co-host Savannah Guthrie gave the lead in about “the anti-Semitic attack” by two men “motived by ISIS.” Importantly, James rebutted Clennett’s suggestion about the two not having any wider ties by noting Australian “[o]fficials today saying the pair had last month traveled to a region in the Philippines known for militant activity.” The one thing that didn’t change in the coverage was CBS News continuing to show moral clarity. On Monday’s CBS Evening News, foreign correspondent Anna Coren told viewers “[m]any in the Jewish community have told us, while the attack came as a shock, it, sadly, wasn’t unexpected.” She also spoke to Sheina Gutnick, the daughter of Reuven Morrison, who “fled persecution in the former Soviet Union 50 years earlier” only to die in Sunday’s attack while trying to fight off one of the gunman. According to Coren (via per Gutnick), Morrison had “feared his adopted homeland was no longer safe” as “[a]nti-Semitic incidents have increased since the October 7 attacks and war in Gaza, synagogues firebombed and vandalized.” When Coren asked “who has failed you and your family and your father,” Gutnick echoed comments from two survivors hours earlier: The Australian government is to blame. They have had the warning signs for so long. The Jewish community has been begging and begging and begging for action. They have failed us, they have betrayed us, and they have so much innocent blood on their hands. Coren closed by inadvertently proving the Jewish community’s point about a lack of concern from the Labor-run government as their reaction thus far has been “pledg[ing] to make sure it can’t happen again” through more gun control even though “Australia has some of the strictest gun laws in the world.” Along with what was largely a re-air of Coren’s piece on Tuesday’s CBS Mornings, the co-hosts also brought in Noa Tishby, a bestselling author and former Israel Special Envoy for Combating anti-Semitism, to discuss the context in which the terror took place Down Under: Really solid interview on Tuesday’s ‘CBS Mornings’ with @NoaTishby about anti-Semitism and emphasizing the reality that this threat has been ignored by the Australian government for years ahead of Sunday’s anti-Semitic terror attack by two radical Islamists. Great moment right… pic.twitter.com/WxabxrOmFL — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 16, 2025 King then asked if she concurred with what two survivors had said on Monday’s show, which is the Labor government has “blood on [their] hands”: WATCH: On @CBSMornings, @NoaTishby SLAMS the Australian government for failing to thwart the rise in anti-Semitism leading up to Sunday’s anti-Semitic terror attack.... “[W]e need to understand this, consider your Intifada globalized. That’s what’s going on right now. The… pic.twitter.com/Bbp2QgqYUF — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 16, 2025 Dokoupil followed up and correctly put this weekend in the context and was followed by co-host Nate Burleson wondering what each and every one of us — from governments to individuals — can do to combat anti-Semitism: Important point on ‘CBS Mornings’ with @TonyDokoupil noting Sunday’s anti-Semitic attack in Australia did not happen in a vacuum and how so many have crossed the line from criticizing the Israeli government to harming Jews writ large... Dokoupil: “Noa, we are talking about… pic.twitter.com/nQ53TPo63C — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 16, 2025   To see the relevant transcripts from December 15, click here (for ABC) and here (for CBS).

After two Islamic terrorists attacked a Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach in Australia — where 15 lives were taken — BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales is pointing out what should have been obvious to those championing Australia’s gun laws before.That when you disarm the citizenry, only the criminals will jump through the hoops required to own weapons.“How did the terrorists end up being the ones to get the guns? It’s extremely hard. There are very few ways that you can get it. In fact, semi-automatic rifles and handguns, semi-automatic handguns, are extremely regulated in Australia. High-capacity shotguns are extremely regulated in Australia. You can get a bolt-action rifle ... but you have to have a reason to own any gun,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales explains.“You have to get the permission slip signed. You have to specify a reason. The reason isn’t, ‘Because I f**king want one,’ like it is here in America,” she continues.The permissible reasons to own a weapon under the rule of the Australian government include sport and target shooting, recreational hunting and vermin control, vertebrate pest animal control, business or employment, rural occupation, animal welfare, and firearms collection.“By the way, lacking from that list: self-defense,” Gonzales comments.“If someone comes up and tries to cause harm to my family, I want to be able to shoot them dead. By the way, I’m aiming to kill,” she adds.While no one around the two attackers appeared to have any weapons, the father of the father-son terrorist duo owned six weapons.“All six firearms were at the scene. It turns out, when you make it very difficult for law-abiding citizens to get guns, do you know what happens?” Gonzales asks. “It’s just the bad guys who end up going through the long and difficult process in order to obtain them. And that’s how you end up with the bloodbath that you ended up with in Australia.”Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Prosecutors said Nick Reiner will be charged with murder in the killing of his parents, famed moviemaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, the New York Times reported.Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced the charges Tuesday, the Times said, adding that the Reiners were found stabbed to death Sunday afternoon in their Brentwood, California, home.When hotel staff entered Nick Reiner's room later on Sunday morning, they found the shower 'full of blood' and blood on the bed.Hochman said his office will file two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance alleging multiple murders, NBC News reported.The charges carry a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Times said, adding that Hochman said no decision has been made with respect to the death penalty.Hochman added that Nick Reiner used a knife to kill his parents, the paper said, but the district attorney wouldn’t provide any details about the murder weapon, including if and where it had been recovered."That will actually be evidence we'll present in court," Hochman said, according to the Times.More from the paper:Nick Reiner, 32, did not appear in court on Tuesday because he had not been medically cleared to be transferred to the courthouse from the jail, his lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters at the courthouse. The screening is a requirement to ensure that detainees do not need medical treatment, and Nick Reiner, once medically cleared, will be brought to court for arraignment, Mr. Hochman said. At that time, Nick Reiner will enter a plea.RELATED: Blood allegedly found in hotel room Nick Reiner checked into hours after arguing with father Rob Reiner Blood allegedly was found in a hotel room Nick Reiner checked into hours after arguing with his famed moviemaker father at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party, which took place Saturday.Nick Reiner's behavior alarmed guests at the party, the New York Times reported, citing two attendees who asked not to be named in order to maintain relationships.More from the Times:Rob and Nick Reiner got into a shouting match at the party in West Los Angeles, said one of the attendees, who recalled Rob Reiner telling his son that his behavior was inappropriate. The attendee, who did not speak to the Reiners at the party, said that people seemed to be very aware of Nick Reiner's history with drug abuse, which the family has discussed publicly.Another attendee said that he did not witness the dispute, but he recognized Rob Reiner in the crowd and noticed the younger Reiner hovering at the fringes of the informal gathering. The guest said that he and other attendees were worried and that several people commented to him on Nick Reiner's behavior, saying he looked anxious and uncomfortable in a way that deeply unsettled them.The Reiners were upset and embarrassed about their son's behavior at the party and expressed worries about his health, NBC News reported, citing another person.What's more, Nick Reiner was alleged to have interrupted a conversation involving comedian Bill Hader, NBC News added. When Hader told Nick Reiner that the conversation was private, the source told the news network that Nick Reiner appeared to pause and stare before "storming off." Hader did not return a request for comment, NBC News also said.Nick Reiner hours later used his credit card to check into the Pierside Santa Monica hotel around 4 a.m. Sunday, TMZ reported, citing sources with direct knowledge.Eyewitnesses who saw Nick Reiner check into the hotel told TMZ he seemed "tweaked out," but there were no visible signs that he had been in a violent confrontation, and there were no bloodstains or cuts on his body.TMZ added that Nick Reiner's reservation was for one day, but he never formally checked out.When hotel staff entered Nick Reiner's room later on Sunday morning, they found the shower "full of blood" and blood on the bed, TMZ reported, adding that the room's window was covered by bedsheets.LAPD Robbery-Homicide detectives went to the hotel Monday to gather evidence and interview employees, TMZ said, adding that Nick Reiner was located and arrested about 20 miles away in Exposition Park, near downtown Los Angeles.Reiner was arrested around 9:15 p.m. Sunday night; authorities were called for medical aid to the Reiner home around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, where the bodies of his parents were found.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Wikimedia CommonsHomo sapiens Scientists widely believe that modern human beings evolved from a single population of Homo sapiens in present-day Morocco some 300,000 years ago. But a new study is now suggesting that we rewrite the very foundations of our evolution. According to research published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, early humans did not emerge from a single population, but instead from a diverse collection of groups unlike anything most scientists had imagined in the past. “Early humans comprised a subdivided, shifting, pan-African meta-population with physical and cultural diversity,” read a statement on the research. “This framework better explains existing genetic, fossil, and cultural patterns and clarifies our shared ancestry. Trends in Ecology & EvolutionA diverse sampling of early human tools discovered in various regions across present-day Africa. This interdisciplinary group of researchers indeed studied the genetic, fossil, cultural, and even ecological evidence to conclude that early humans were just too diverse to have evolved from one population. As for the genetic evidence, the researchers contend that the diversity of DNA between modern human populations still present in Africa today is so great that all of these groups could not have originally come from a mere single population. Of course, the genetic and fossil evidence go hand in hand, and the disparate physical forms of early humans across various regions suggest that there could not have been just one origin point. “In the fossil record, we see a mosaic-like, continental-wide trend toward the modern human form, and the fact that these features appear at different places at different times tells us that these populations were not well connected,” said Eleanor Scerri, a British Academy postdoctoral fellow in archaeology at the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Trends in Ecology & EvolutionComparison of two early human skulls from separate regions. And beyond fossil evidence, the researchers even argue that various early human groups had to have been largely separate for ecological reasons in that Africa’s rivers, deserts, forests, and other physical barriers would have naturally led to subdivided populations. “For the first time, we’ve examined all the relevant archaeological, fossil, genetic, and environmental data together to eliminate field-specific biases and assumptions and confirm that a mosaic, pan-African origin view is a much better fit with the data that we have,” said Scerri. Scerri and company’s new theory does indeed suggest a pan-African origin of modern humans, claiming that our ancestors evolved in various groups from the continent’s southern tip all the way up to its northern coast. And with this theory in place, the researchers hope that we can rethink our origins and learn more about our collective past and how different groups grew out of different Homo sapiens populations (a topic not tackled in this study). “We’ve arrived at a place where we can begin to address some key questions about our shared ancestry,” Scerri said, “and even emerge with new questions we haven’t known to ask before.” Next, check out the most fascinating facts about Charles Darwin, the man behind the theory of evolution. Then, discover the identity of the very first animal known to exist on planet Earth. The post We Didn’t All Evolve From One Population Of Early Humans, New Research Claims appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Museum VestsjællandThe pair of ancient gold-plated lances recently unearthed near Boeslunde. Archaeologists have discovered Denmark’s earliest-known iron weapons — two gold-plated lances — at a sacred Bronze Age site near the village of Boeslunde on Zealand. This find is now offering new insights into the region’s ancient metalworking and ritual practices. The excavation, carried out by archaeologists from Museum Vestsjælland in August 2025, initially aimed to investigate the history behind Boeslunde’s famed wealth of ancient artifacts made of gold, which includes 10 oath rings and more than 2,000 gold spirals unearthed in previous decades. In addition to the pair of lances, researchers found a natural spring beneath where the town’s gold artifacts have been located, which may have made this area an important site for ceremonial offerings. It was during documentation of the spring that the team identified what at first looked like just a piece of corroded metal — but proved to be part of a 2,800-year-old iron lance. Then, a second weapon was found nearby, leaving archaeologists with two lances unlike anything from this era ever found in Europe before. The Stunning Construction Of The Ancient Lances Found In Boeslunde “I could see immediately that it was something truly special. It felt like my head was going to explode,” museum director Lone Claudi-Hansen told TV2 East. Radiocarbon dating of birch pitch preserved on one lance tip dated the weapons to sometime between 900 and 830 B.C.E., placing them in Bronze Age Period V and making them the oldest iron artifacts ever discovered in Denmark. Despite heavy corrosion, gold inlays remain visible along the blades and shafts. X-ray imaging of the better-preserved lance also revealed circular gold decorations, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship. “When we started the excavation, the goal was not to find more gold, but to understand why all the gold objects were right here,” Claudi-Hansen said. “The fact that we also came across two completely unique gold-decorated iron lances – already in the first days of the excavation – was a huge surprise. They turn out to be very early iron finds and objects that we have never seen before.” Museum VestsjællandArchaeologists from Museum Vestsjælland working at the Boeslunde site. The combination of early ironwork with gold ornamentation is exceptionally rare in Northern Europe, with no known parallels in the region. Similar gold-plated weapons are virtually nonexistent, even in Central Europe and Greece. What’s more, researchers now believe that they have an explanation for the high density of gold artifacts found at Boeslunde. Boeslunde: An Ancient Ritual Site Filled With Gold Offerings As Claudi-Hansen noted, the discovery of the spring likely explains why Boeslunde has yielded an unusually dense concentration of gold treasures dating back to antiquity. The spring, along with nearby cooking pits and gold offerings — as well as six gold bowls found at nearby Borgbjerg Banke — suggests that this area was a hub of repeated ritual activity. Researchers believe that pieces made of precious metals were deliberately deposited in or around the water source, continuing a European tradition of ceremonial offerings at springs and wetlands. Museum VestsjællandBoeslunde was likely an important ritual site during the Bronze Age, hence the large number of gold artifacts found here in recent years. The lances’ advanced metallurgy and decorative gold embellishments indicate Boeslunde’s significance as both a religious and economic center during the Late Bronze Age. These finds also challenge previous assumptions about the timeline of iron adoption in Denmark, suggesting sophisticated ironworking may have emerged earlier than previously thought. With more questions to be answered, Museum Vestsjælland emphasized the site’s importance for understanding Bronze Age rituals and technological advancements. From here, further analysis of the weapons and surrounding artifacts may provide additional clues about the social and cultural practices of ancient Danish societies. After reading about these gold-plated lances found in Denmark, check out 44 ancient artifacts that unlock the mysteries of the past. Then, explore the stories of 25 seemingly out-of-place artifacts and the truth about their origins. The post Archaeologists In Denmark Just Unearthed A Pair Of Gold-Plated Lances Dating Back 2,800 Years appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Public DomainStar of Bethlehem, painted by Elihu Vedder circa 1879. The Star of Bethlehem has long been a topic of debate and mystery within the world of astronomy. Based on biblical descriptions, the star that was storied to have guided the magi, or wise men, to the manger of baby Jesus didn’t behave like a typical star in the night sky. Scientists have struggled to positively connect the star to any specific astronomical event. Now, however, a NASA planetary scientist has proposed a new theory: The Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet. The Star Of Bethlehem May Have Been A Comet NASA planetary scientist Mark Matney recently published his study about the Star of Bethlehem in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association. To support his theory that the celestial body was a comet, Matney turned to astronomical accounts from ancient China. He found one document that described a strange object that appeared in the sky in 5 B.C.E. and was visible for 70 days. From there, Matney mapped out a potential orbit that the “star” may have followed. Alessandro Bianconi/Wikimedia CommonsNASA scientist Mark Matney posits that the Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet that takes millions of years to orbit the Sun. His research began back when he was still in college. He was working at a planetarium at the time, and it was during a Christmas sky show that his theory came about. The show noted that the Star of Bethlehem was unlike any other observed celestial bodies, which typically rise in the east and set in the west. In the Bible, the star was described to have ascended from the south and remained still for hours. Matney realized that the entire story may be mythical, but he also knew there was one object that could behave in such a way: a comet. Using the description in the ancient Chinese account, Matney concluded that the comet would have appeared as if it were moving ahead of someone in the sky if they were walking from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, as the wise men did. Furthermore, if the comet were traveling at just the right speed, direction, and distance from Earth, it would look as if it had paused overhead for about two hours. So, could this supposed comet have actually been the Star of Bethlehem? The Comet Of Bethlehem Theory Is Not Universally Accepted Not everyone agrees with Matney’s conclusion. Astrophysicist Ralph Neuhäuser from Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany told Scientific American that the Chinese source may be misleading. “The older the record, in general, the less information is left,” Neuhäuser, who was uninvolved in Matney’s research, told the outlet. Thanhouser Films/Wikimedia CommonsA poster for the 1912 film Star of Bethlehem. Matney, while agreeing that ancient texts are not guaranteed to be reliable, noted that Chinese documentation has “proven to be, in general, pretty accurate.” In the past, astronomical records from China have correctly described stellar explosions and the path of Halley’s Comet. “My goal here was to not prove that this was the Star of Bethlehem,” said Matney, “but to show that the idea that no astronomical object can behave this way — we can no longer say that.” After reading about the theory that the Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet, go inside the apocalyptic frenzy inspired by Halley’s Comet in 1910. Then, learn about the global sensation of the Hale-Bopp Comet. The post A NASA Scientist Believes The Star Of Bethlehem Was Likely A Comet appeared first on All That's Interesting.

War on Media! CNN’s Brian Stelter Fumes Trump Will Hold BBC Accountable for Deceptive Jan. 6 Doc Edit