The problems with illegal immigration have been ongoing for years. Much like the stabbings of kids at a Taylor Swift dance class sparked riots and protests in the U.K., it appears Springfield, OH may…

Of all the mysteries facing astronomers and cosmologists today, the “Hubble Tension” remains persistent! This term refers to the apparent inconsistency of the Universe’s expansion (aka. the Hubble Constant) when local measurements are compared to those of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Astronomers hoped that observations of the earliest galaxies in the Universe by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) would solve this mystery. Unfortunately, Webb confirmed that the previous measurements were correct, so the “tension” endures. Since the JWST made its observations, numerous scientists have suggested that the existence of Early Dark Energy (EDE) might explain the Hubble Tension. In a recent study supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggested that EDE could resolve two cosmological mysteries. In addition to the Hubble Tension, it might explain why Webb observed as many galaxies as it did during the early Universe. According to current cosmological models, the Universe should have been much less populated at the time. The research was led by Xuejian Shen and his colleagues from the Department of Physics and the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MTK) at MIT. They were joined by researchers from the NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI) at MIT, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Kavli Institute for Cosmology (KICC) and Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. The paper detailing their findings was recently published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The Cosmic Distance Ladder, which relies on different methods to gauge distance, has led to the realization that measurements of cosmic expansion don’t agree. Credit: NASA/ESA/A. Feild (STScI)/A. Riess (STScI/JHU) To recap, Dark Energy is the theoretical form of energy that is believed to be driving the expansion of the Universe today. The theory first emerged in the 1990s to explain observations by the venerable Hubble Space Telescope, which showed that cosmic expansion appeared to be accelerating over time. EDE is similar but is thought to have briefly appeared shortly after the Big Bang, which disappeared after influencing the expansion of the early Universe. Like Dark Energy, this force would have counteracted the gravitational pull of early galaxies and temporarily accelerated the expansion of the Universe. The existence of this energy would also explain why measurements of the Hubble Constant are inconsistent with each other. Short of General Relativity being wrong (despite being proven repeatedly for over a century), EDE is considered the most likely solution to the Hubble Tension. Similarly, Webb’s 2023 observations uncovered a surprising number of bright galaxies just 500 million years after the Big Bang that were comparable in size to the modern Milky Way. These findings challenge conventional models of galaxy formation, which predict that galaxies take billions of years to form and grow. For their study, the team focused on the formation of “Dark Matter Halos,” the hypothetical region that allows protogalaxies to accumulate gas and dust, leading to star formation and growth. As when said in a recent MIT News story: “The bright galaxies that JWST saw would be like seeing a clustering of lights around big cities, whereas theory predicts something like the light around more rural settings like Yellowstone National Park. And we don’t expect that clustering of light so early on. We believe that dark matter halos are the invisible skeleton of the universe. Dark matter structures form first, and then galaxies form within these structures. So, we expect the number of bright galaxies should be proportional to the number of big dark matter halos.” Early Dark Energy could have caused early seeds of galaxies (depicted at left) to sprout many more bright galaxies (at right) than theory predicts. Credit: Josh Borrow/Thesan Team The team developed an empirical framework for early galaxy formation that incorporated the six main “cosmological parameters”—the basic mathematical terms that describe the evolution of the Universe. This includes the Hubble Constant, which describes cosmic expansion, while parameters describe density fluctuations immediately after the Big Bang, from which dark matter halos formed. The team theorized that if EDE affects early cosmic expansion, it could also affect other parameters that might explain the appearance of many large galaxies shortly thereafter. To test their theory, the team modeled the formation of galaxies within the first few hundred million years of the Universe. This model incorporated EDE to determine how early dark matter structures evolved and gave rise to the first galaxies in the Universe. As study co-author Rohan Naidu, a postdoc with MKI, explained: “You have these two looming open-ended puzzles. We find that in fact, early dark energy is a very elegant and sparse solution to two of the most pressing problems in cosmology. What we show is, the skeletal structure of the early universe is altered in a subtle way where the amplitude of fluctuations goes up, and you get bigger halos, and brighter galaxies that are in place at earlier times, more so than in our more vanilla models. It means things were more abundant, and more clustered in the early universe.” “We demonstrated the potential of early dark energy as a unified solution to the two major issues faced by cosmology,” added co-author Mark Vogelsberger, an MIT professor of physics. “This might be an evidence for its existence if the observational findings of JWST get further consolidated. In the future, we can incorporate this into large cosmological simulations to see what detailed predictions we get.” Further Reading: MIT News, MNRAS The post Early Dark Energy Could Resolve Two of the Biggest Mysteries in Cosmology appeared first on Universe Today.

Continuous human habitation of the Moon is the state aim of many major space-faring nations in the coming decades. Reaching that aim requires many tasks, but one of the most fundamental is feeding those humans. Shipping food consistently from Earth will likely be prohibitively expensive shortly, so DLR, Germany’s space agency, is working on an alternative. This semi-autonomous greenhouse can be used to at least partially feed the astronauts in residence on the Moon. To support that goal, a team of researchers from DLR released a paper about EVE, a robotic arm intended to help automate the operations of the first lunar greenhouse, at the IEEE Aerospace conference in March. The EDEN Versatile End-effector (or EVE) is only possibly named as an homage to the life-seeking robot from WALL-E. But it is designed to interface with the EDEN LUNA greenhouse, a project at DLR meant to result in a fully functional greenhouse for use on the lunar surface. The advantages of such a greenhouse have been discussed in other articles, but needless to say, the EDEN LUNA is the best-supported project that will likely result in a fully functional system on the Moon when the time is right. But as any gardener would tell you, greenhouses are a lot of work. And any time an astronaut spends on greenhouse maintenance is time they can’t spend doing other tasks, like scientific research. So, it would be extremely beneficial if there was a robot to assist with greenhouse operations, even if that robot had to be remotely controlled by an operator back on Earth. Fraser discusses how to grow crops on the Moon. Enter EVE, which consists of three main components. The transport rails allow the robot to move to the correct location in the greenhouse. Its robotic “arm” enables the robot to position itself effectively to complete its assigned task, and the end effector can push, pull, pick up, or perform other manual tasks. The system uses about 700W and weighs about 170 kg fully installed. First, let’s look at the transport trails. It’s actually an off-the-shelf commercial system for use in industrial automation. The eXtended Transport System, made by Beckhoff, an industrial automation company, can be mounted in different configurations. It allows whatever is attached to it to be driven to various locations based on a series of signals that control the “mover” to which the robotic arm would be connected. The robotic arm is based on DLR’s “This Is Not an Arm” (TINA) project. It has seven degrees of freedom, which allows for precise positioning of its end effector. Each of its three joints has around three electronic controllers for motor control, power management, and communication. It’s supported by a camera system that senses its surroundings and allows remote operators to tell where the end effector is positioned. Isaac Arthur discusses how the Moon could support a biosphere.Credit – Isaac Arthur YouTube Channel The Compliant Low-Cost Antagonistic Servo Hand (CLASH) is the end effector. It has two “fingers” and a “thumb” to grip soft objects using force feedback sensors in its fingertips. It can also sense pressure from other components, such as the hand’s “tendons” and thumb and figure position. These positioning and end-effector systems can work effectively together to perform the greenhouse’s daily maintenance tasks. For now, at least, it will require a skilled operator to do so, but that operator doesn’t have to be co-located with the greenhouse on the Moon – it could be back on Earth or even on the Lunar Gateway station orbiting above the lunar surface. Continuous operation is essential, though, as the first stages of the permanent occupation of the Moon involve temporary stays, where there will be long stretches with no human inhabitants. DLR is fully backing the development of the EDEN LUNA greenhouse and the EVE robotic arm. Later this year, EVE will be fully integrated into the greenhouse at the Institute of Space Systems in Bremen, followed by a specially designed facility for the greater LUNA project of ESA/DLR in Cologne. As of now, both EVE and EDEN LUNA seem on track to be put through their paces before officially supporting the continual human occupation of the Moon within the next decade. Learn More:Prince et al. – EDEN Versatile End-effector (EVE): An Autonomous Robotic System to Support Food Production on the MoonUT – Plants Could Grow in Lunar Regolith Using BacteriaUT – A Greenhouse on the Moon by 2014?UT – Practical Ideas for Farming on the Moon and Mars Lead Image:Greenhouse concept art on the Moon.Credit – DLR The post Can a Greenhouse with a Robotic Arm Feed the Next Lunar Astronauts? appeared first on Universe Today.

A lot of rumors are floating around about Kamala Harris's debate earrings, and a German-based company that sells audio earrings has hilariously responded. Malte Iversen, the company's manager, stated: "We do not know whether Mrs. Harris wore one of our products. The resemblance is striking and while our product was not specifically developed for the use at presidential debates, it is nonetheless suited for it." Iversen then said this: "To ensure a level playing field for both candidates, we are currently developing a male version and will soon be able to offer it to the Trump campaign." - - - - - - More Stories: ? VigilantNews.com

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Taking care of a newborn baby is mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausting. For the first four months (at least!), new parents have to dedicate every part of themselves to caring for this young life.There's little time for self-care during this chaotic period, let alone a moment to be fully present with a partner.A blogger who goes by the name Celeste Yvonne was the mother of a toddler and a newborn and wrote a revealing open letter to her husband asking for more help with their children. It went viral in 2018 because it paints a very real picture of what it feels like to be a mother who feels stuck doing everything. And the message still resonated deeply today.It's also important because it gives specific ways for parents to support each other.Dear Husband,I. Need. More. Help.Last night was hard for you. I asked you to watch the baby so I could go to bed early. The baby was crying. Wailing, really. I could hear him from upstairs and my stomach knotted from the sound, wondering if I should come down there and relieve you or just shut the door so I could get some desperately needed sleep. I chose the latter.You came into the room 20 minutes later, with the baby still frantically crying. You placed the baby in the bassinet and gently pushed the bassinet just a few inches closer to my side of the bed, a clear gesture that you were done watching him.I wanted to scream at you. I wanted to launch an epic fight that very moment. I had been watching the baby and the toddler all damn day. I was going to be waking up with the baby to feed him all damn night. The least you could do is hold him for a couple of hours in the evening to I can attempt to sleep.Just a few hours of precious sleep. Is that too much to ask?I know we both watched our parents fulfill the typical mother-father roles growing up. Both our mothers were the primary caretakers and our fathers were relatively hands off. They were excellent dads, but they weren't expected to spend a significant amount of time changing diapers, feeding, caring, and tending to the kids. Our mothers were the superwomen who maintained the family dynamics. Cooking, cleaning, and raising the children. Any help from dad was welcome, but unexpected.I see us falling into these family dynamics more and more each day. My responsibility to feed the family, keep the house clean, and take care of the kids is assumed, even as I return to work. I blame myself for most of it too. I have set the precedent that I can do it. And in truth I want to. No offense, but I'm not sure I want to know what a week's worth of dinner would look like with you in charge.I also see my friends and other moms doing it all, and doing it well. I know you see it, too. If they can manage it, and if our mothers did it so well for us, why can't I?I don't know.Maybe our friends are playing the part in public and secretly struggling. Maybe our moms suffered in silence for years and now, thirty years later, they simply don't remember how hard it really was. Or maybe, and this is something I berate myself over every single day, I'm just not as qualified for the job as everyone else. And as much as I cringe just thinking it, I'm going to say it: I need more help.Part of me feels like a failure for even asking. I mean, you do help. You are an amazing father, and you do a great job with the kids. And besides, this should come easy to me, right? Motherly instincts, no?But I'm human, and I'm running on five hours of sleep and tired as hell. I need you.In the morning, I need you to get our toddler ready so I can care for the baby and make everyone's lunches and drink a cup of coffee. And no, getting the toddler ready does not mean plopping him in front of the TV. It means making sure he went potty, giving him some breakfast, seeing if he wants water, and packing his bag for school.At night, I need an hour to decompress in bed knowing our toddler is asleep in his room and the baby is in your care. I know it's hard to listen to the baby cry. Believe me, I know. But if I can watch and pacify the baby for the majority of the day, you can do it for an hour or two at night. Please. I need you.On weekends, I need more breaks. Times where I can get out of the house by myself and feel like an individual. Even if it's just a walk around the block or a trip to the grocery store. And some days when I've scheduled swim class and play dates, and it seems like I've got it all under control, I need you to offer to lend me a hand. Or suggest I go lay down during the kids' naptime. Or start putting away the dishes without me suggesting it. I need you.Lastly, I need to hear you're grateful for all I do. I want to know that you notice the laundry is done and a nice dinner has been prepared. I want to know you appreciate that I breastfeed at all hours and pump when I'm at work when it would be easier for me to formula feed. I hope you notice that I never ask you to stay home from your networking events and sport activities. As the mom, it's assumed I'll be home all the time and always available to care for the kids while you're out and I feed that assumption by, well, being home all the time.I know it's not how our parents did it, and I hate even asking. I wish I could do it all and make it look effortless. And I wish I didn't need kudos for doing things most people expect from a mom. But I'm waving a white flag and admitting I'm only human. I'm telling you how much I need you, and if I keep going at the pace I've been on, I will break. And that would hurt you, the kids, and our family.Because, let's face it: you need me, too."After the video went viral, Yvonne filmed another thanking everyone who read it and addressed the biggest question it raised: Did the letter work?"Yes, absolutely. Communication works — most of the time," Yvonne said with a laugh. "I told [my husband] all the stuff I'm doing on the back end that he had no idea about. And then he told me all the concerns and the stress he's been having as a new father. Things that I had no idea about. It was so eye-opening, and I'm so grateful for it.”Watch the YouTube video below:This article originally appeared on 3.20.18

It feels safe to assume that if money were no object, people would always choose to travel business class over economy. After all, who doesn’t want a fast check-in, fancy food and drink choices and more of that sweet, spacious legroom? However, at anywhere between four to ten times the price of a regular economy ticket, this style of traveling remains a fantasy for many who simply can’t afford it. Luckily, thanks to one man’s clever travel hack, that fantasy might be more achievable than we realize. Cameron Stewart, a British photojournalist and camera operator, shared how he was able to score business class tickets at a fraction of the price, simply by switching the website language from English to Spanish.Stewart had booked his flight on LATAM, Latin America’s largest airline company. According to The Mirror, he heard that LATAM’s website sometimes showed different ticket prices depending on which language the browser was set to. While booking his flight from Santiago to Easter Island, Stewart decided to experiment and switched his computer’s VPN or "virtual private network" to make it seem like he was located in Chile, along with changing the browser's language. "I cleared all cookies from my browser, and used private browser mode so there was no way the website would determine I was outside the country," Stewart told 9News, according to The Mirror.Using Google translate to navigate the site, Stewart was easily able to book. And it actually turned out “cheaper than economy.”Stewart shared his story in an Instagram post, along with a photo in his cushy seat, all smiles as he sat next to a generous amount of some kind of orange beverage. Probably made from organic oranges they grow in the plane's private garden. See on Instagram Is the trick foolproof? No. But with such a dramatic price difference, it might be worth trying out.With ever rising inflation costs and constant headlines about an inevitable economic crash, people consider saving money to be more important than ever. Even those who are incredibly wealthy are looking for ways to save. Rather than cutting ourselves off from the things that bring us joy, there are plenty of creative solutions when it comes to living frugally.That goes for traveling too. Airline tickets might be bonkers, but the need to travel still exists. Perhaps even more so post-pandemic. The good news is that with a little bit of work, you can discover incredible deals to make the trip more feasible—things like finding the optimal times to book, checking sites multiple times a day, and learning how to optimize credit card points, to name a few. Sure, it doesn’t guarantee a hoity-toity business class seat, but it does make adventure that much more attainable. Excuse me while I change my browser settings to French. Allons y! This article originally appeared on 2.6.23

Raising kids is tough no matter what generation you fall into, but it’s hard to deny that there was something much simpler about the childrearing days of yesteryear, before the internet offered a million and one ways that parents could be—and probably are—doing it all very, very wrong. Taylor Wolfe, a millennial mom, exemplifies this as she asks her own mother a series of rapid-fire questions about raising her during the 80s and the stark contrast in attitudes becomes blatantly apparent. First off, Wolfe can’t comprehend how her mom survived without being able to Google everything. (Not even a parent, but I feel this.) “What did we have to Google?” her mom asks while shaking her head incredulously. “Everything! For starters, poop!” Wolfe says. “Cause you have to know if the color is an okay color, if it's healthy!”“I was a nursing mom, so if the poop came out green, it was because I ate broccoli,” her mom responds. …Okay, fair point. But what about handy gadgets like baby monitors? How did Wolfe’s mom keep her kid alive without one? “I was the monitor, going in and feeling you,” she says. @thedailytay My anxiety would have hated the 80s. Or maybe loved it? IDK! #fyp #millennialsontiktok #parenttok #momsoftiktok #comedyvid ♬ original sound - TaylorWolfe Could it really be that easy? It was for Wolfe’s mom, apparently. Rather than relying on technology, she simply felt her child and adjusted accordingly.“If you were hot, you slept in a diaper. If you were cold, you had a blanket around you.” Done and done. Wolfe then got into more existential questions, asking her mom if she ever felt the stress of “only having 18 summers” with her child, and how to make the most of it. Without missing a beat, Wolfe's mother says, “It's summer, I still have you.” Going by Wolfe’s mom, the 80s seems like a time with much less pressure. From feeding her kids McDonald’s fries guilt-free to being spared the judgment of internet trolls, she just sort of did the thing without worrying so much if she was doing it correctly. That’s nearly impossible in today’s world, as many viewers commented. “Google just gives us too much information and it scares us,” one person quipped.Another seconded, “I swear social media has made me wayyyy more of an anxious mom."Even a professional noted: “As someone who has worked in pediatrics since the 80s, the parents are way more anxious now.”I don’t think anyone truly wants to go back in time, per se. But many of us are yearning to bring more of this bygone mindset into the modern day. And the big takeaway here: No matter how many improvements we make to life, if the cost is our mental state, then perhaps it’s time to swing the pendulum back a bit. This article originally appeared on 8.24.23