Revealed: Patagonia and Its Tie to a Group Connected to Palestinian Terrorism

Just over a year ago, people across this planet received a challenge from the heavens: Solve an encoded message. The message was created by Daniela de Paulis, Artist in Residence at the SETI Institute. The goal was to simulate an alien signal – and despite its earthly creation, it really came from another planet.The project, A Sign In Space, was sent from the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) on May 24 at 7 pm UTC, and received 16 minutes later by the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope at the Green Bank Observatory, and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station observatory. Over four thousand people worldwide joined the quest to decode the message.On June 7, the correct solution was finally presented to De Paulis by John and Sarah (made-up names), who are father and daughter. They looked at the encrypted message considering the possibility that it had a connection with a renowned computation model called the cellular automaton. Conway’s Game of Life is a popular version of this model.In this model, pixels can be considered "alive" or "dead" and evolve under specific rules. The model can create complex scenario that evolve from basic rules, and it was used to go from the whole seemingly meaningless message full of one and zeros (alive or dead pixels) to suddenly finding something with meaning.They used the Unity game engine and put the message through 6,625 transformations to turn the binary message into something that was intelligible. It turned out to be an image of five amino acids. These crucial life molecules are represented by blocks of different number of pixels. One for hydrogen, six for carbon, seven for nitrogen, and eight for oxygen.This is not the end of the experiment that mixes science and art – De Paulis envisioned the challenge as a way to mimic what humanity will face in the event of receiving an alien signal. There will be the understanding of what the communication is in the first place, the part solved by John and Sarah. Now comes the interpretation: What does the signal mean? Why these five amino acids in particular?           De Paulis is inviting more people to join the Discord server that has been used as a hub for the decoding and discussion surrounding the signal. Since last year, there have been over 54,000 messages related to the project, and the project team hopes that many more people joins the thousands already there to discuss, opine, and propose possible meanings of the signal from space.  

Being born a twin was bad news if you happened to live in ancient Mayan times, as the iconic civilization apparently had a thing for sacrificing relatives, including identical siblings – and especially if they were boys. At the world-famous site of Chichén Itzá in southern Mexico, researchers have just identified the remains of 64 children who were ceremonially dispatched over a period of 500 years, revealing that all were male and several were likely selected due to their close biological kinship with one another.A major seat of power in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, Chichén Itzá is notorious for its bloody traditions, with hundreds of ritually executed children and adolescents having previously been found in a natural sinkhole known as the Sacred Cenote. The majority of these were identified as girls, leading to the theory that the ancient city’s inhabitants were fixated on female sacrifice, although the new research indicates that they had no problem with killing young boys too.The unfortunate lads were laid to rest in an underground water cistern known as a chultun, which was first discovered by archaeologists in 1967. In total, 106 children were found in the chamber, and the authors of the new study were able to retrieve and analyze DNA from 64 of these.In doing so, they discovered that all were male and that around a quarter were closely related to at least one other person within the chultun – including two sets of identical twins. “As such twins occur spontaneously in only 0.4 percent of the general population, the presence of two sets of identical twins in the chultún is much higher than would be expected by chance,” write the authors.Radiocarbon dating indicated that the bones were interred between the 7th and 12th centuries, although the majority were deposited during Chichén Itzá's 200-year heyday, from roughly 800 to 1000 CE. Isotopic analysis, meanwhile, revealed that related pairs of sacrificial boys shared the same diet, suggesting they probably lived together in the same household.It’s unclear exactly why twins and other close relatives were chosen, although the researchers note that identical brothers feature prominently in ancient Maya mythology. In particular, the sacred K’iche’ Mayan Book of Council – or Popol Vuh – recounts the story of the “Hero Twins” Hunahpu and Xbalanque, who do battle with the gods through repeated cycles of sacrifice and resurrection, and the slaughter of twin boys at Chichen Itzá may well have represented a ritual enactment of these mythic adventures.“The similar ages and diets of the male children, their close genetic relatedness, and the fact that they were interred in the same place for more than 200 years point to the chultún as a post-sacrificial burial site, with the sacrificed individuals having been selected for a specific reason,” said study author Oana Del Castillo-Chávez in a statement.Genetic continuity between the ancient children and present-day Maya communities, meanwhile, indicates that the victims were locals rather than foreigners. At the same time, the researchers gained insight into the lasting impact of disease epidemics caused by early contact with European conquistadores.It’s thought that these outbreaks during the 16th century ravaged Indigenous populations, with declines of up to 90 percent in some places. The most severe of these was the 1545 cocoliztli pandemic, which was caused by the pathogen Salmonella enterica Paratyphi C.Comparing modern Maya genomes with the DNA of the sacrificed boys, the researchers found evidence of positive selection in immunity-related genes that provide protection against Salmonella. This indicates that the survivors of these colonial-era pandemics may have been genetically adapted to withstand certain illnesses, later passing on genes that became ubiquitous among future generations.In other words, as lead author Rodrigo Barquera puts it: “The present-day Maya carry the genetic scars of these colonial-era epidemics.”The study is published in the journal Nature.

If you were hoping the next invasion of New York would be somewhat less eight-legged, we’ve got bad news: invasive crabs that harass fishers, alter food webs, and even shut down power plants have made it to the state’s waters. On the upside, they do have very cute little mittens.Describing it as “anything but crabulous”, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS-DEC) announced on social media last week that Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) had been found in the Nissequogue River this past winter. Since then, the crabs have made their way into the Hudson and Long Island Sound.     IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Mitten crabs are appropriately named, given their distinguishing feature is a pair of “furry” claws that look like, well, mittens. However, it’s not actually fur; it’s a dense patch of setae, which are stiff, hair-like structures that can also be found in some insects and geckos.Their resemblance to cold weather gear might make it seem as though the crabs are simply well-prepared for all weathers, but the actual purpose of the mittens – if there even is one, sometimes nature just likes to fuck around and find out – remains unclear.But while their furry forelimbs might earn them some fans, their appearance in New York is not welcome. Mitten crabs are actually native to East Asia, making them an invasive species in the US. It’s thought they managed to reach the States either accidentally, such as in the ballast water of a ship, or were introduced on purpose as a delicacy.Though we’re yet to see the impact of their arrival in New York, we know from their invasion of both European and Californian waters that they can wreak havoc in all sorts of ways. It seems they’ve got it in for the fishing and energy industries in particular, as according to the NYS-DEC, they’ve been found to steal bait, damage gear and catch, and block the cooling systems of power plants.If that gives the illusion of mitten crabs being passionate about the environment, then you should also know that these furry fiends can cause instability in riverbanks, alter food webs because they can snack on multiple different things, and compete with native species for food and a place to live.Given their potential impact, officials are keen to keep an eye on them, with the help of the public. So how do you recognize a mitten crab?The most obvious feature is their furry claws, but juvenile crabs don’t always have these. In that case, the NYS-DEC recommends looking for “a notch on the carapace between the eyes and four small lateral spines on each side of the carapace.”If you manage to spot one, “Do not throw it back alive!” says the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. That sounds ominous, but the advice goes on to say that mitten crabs should be frozen and then reported to the authorities.Low on freezer space? Thinking that a spot of crab might make a nice lunch? Mitten crabs are edible, but take caution: they are carriers of parasitic worms that can also infect humans.

Tiger sharks are voracious predators that will eat pretty much anything they can get their jaws around – but even they can’t stomach an echidna.Scientists from James Cook University in Australia witnessed a bizarre animal interaction after seeing a tiger shark throw up an echidna, a small and spikey monotreme that is a cousin of the platypus.The unlikely observation was made in May 2022 while the researchers were tagging marine life off the coast of Orpheus Island in north Queensland.“We were quite shocked at what we saw. We really didn’t know what was going on," Dr Nicolas Lubitz, a former PhD student at James Cook University who took a photograph of the incident, said in a recent statement.“When it spat it out, I looked at it and remarked: “What the hell is that? I managed to only get one picture, but you can see the outline of the echidna in the water,” he added.The tiger shark, alongside the echidna, shortly after its vomiting episode in May 2022.Image credit: Nic LubitzEchidnas are an unusual family of egg-laying mammals that are typically found (on dry land) in Australia and New Guinea. Surprisingly, they can swim. Scientists have documented echidnas paddling along bodies of water, although its not clear why they take these aquatic excursions. It’s also believed their ancestors were semi-aquatic, a bit like platypuses, so it’s not a total surprise seeing them in a marine environment. Nevertheless, it’s very unexpected to see them being ejected from the belly of a sea-dwelling predator.The tiger shark had likely chomped down the echidna as it was swimming the shallow waters off the coast of a nearby island. Understandably, the animal’s protective spines meant the meal didn’t settle well and the shark had an unpleasant stomach upset.“It’s very rare that they throw up their food but sometimes when they get stressed they can. In this case, I think the echidna must have just felt a bit funny in its throat,” continued Dr Lubitz.“It’s known that Tiger sharks will eat anything. They’re just a scavenger. I’ve seen videos of them eating a rock for no reason,” he explained.Luckily, the tiger shark was unharmed by its dubious meal choice and the researchers managed to fit it with an acoustic tracker before being released back into the water.On the topic of strange meals, Greenland sharks in the Arctic are also known for their adventurous diet. In 2008, scientists discovered the jawbone of a polar bear in the guts of a Greenland shark. It remained unclear whether the shark attacked a live swimming bear or if it scavenged its dead body. Either way, it must have been one hell of a feast.

Recently, scientists decided to examine an inconspicuous papyrus that was kept in the Hamburg library. It turned out that this manuscript is an important religious text that tells about the childhood of Jesus of Nazareth. An ancient manuscript found in the Hamburg State and University Library. Karl von Ossietzky, offers a rare glimpse into the childhood of Jesus of Nazareth. Previously, historians relied on a limited number of texts outside the Bible to piece together the details of his life, reports IFLScience. Dr. Lajos Berkes from the Humboldt University of Berlin and Professor Gabriel Nocchi Macedo from the University of Liège carefully studied this fragment. According to them, the manuscript known as “P.Hamb.Graec. 1011” is the oldest known example of the Gospel of Thomas, dating back to the 4th or 5th century AD. The text is the earliest known example of the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Image credit: Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Before this discovery, the oldest copy of this Gospel was thought to date back to the 11th century AD. Dr Birks said: “The fragment is of extreme interest for research… because we have been able to date it to the 4th-5th century, making it the oldest known copy.” This ancient text, measuring approximately 11 by 5 centimeters and containing 13 lines of Greek script, was overlooked for decades because it was mistakenly thought to be an ordinary document due to its rough handwriting. The Gospel of Thomas tells of events from Jesus’ childhood that are not included in the Bible. Dr Nocchi Macedo confirmed: “Our findings on this late ancient Greek copy of the work support the modern assessment that the Gospel of Thomas was originally written in Greek.” This fragment includes the story known as “The Animation of the Sparrows” where little Jesus creates clay sparrows and brings them to life. The discovery of this papyrus is important because it provides historical context and helps scholars trace the development and spread of early Christian texts. The post Ancient manuscript with unique details of Jesus’ childhood discovered appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Six lions found themselves in an unusual and dire predicament when they were either released into the streets or the desert. This unexpected scenario led to immediate action from Kuwait Zoo, which stepped in to rescue these magnificent animals. The zoo’s initiative was vital in ensuring the lions’ safety and provided them a temporary refuge... The post Lion who spent years trapped in tiny cage can’t contain joy when he gets first-ever toy appeared first on Animal Channel.

CBS’s host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert, and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show temp host Jordan Klepper tried to turn molehills into mountains on their Tuesday shows as they tried to claim that the secret recordings of Justice Samuel Alito and his wife, Martha-Ann, are proof of religious nuttery and even fascism. Colbert claimed the recordings prove Alito’s critics correct, “Alito's been in hot water lately for, among other things, flying multiple flags that support the January 6th insurrectionists outside of his homes. Now he has been secretly recorded saying what the flags only hinted at.”     After noting the recordings were taken by a “liberal activist” pretending to be a conservative, Colbert played an audio clip of Alito declaring that “One side or the other, one side or the other is going to win. I don't know. I mean, there can be a -- a way of working, a way of living together peacefully, but it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can't be compromised.” What Alito said is simply true. Either Republicans win the election or Democrats win the election. Either the plaintiffs win the case or the defendant wins the case. Either abortion is murder or it isn’t. It is also not Alito’s job to appease Colbert’s feelings by way of some political compromise disguised as law. However, Colbert spun this to suggest Alito is irremediably biased, “You're a Supreme Court justice. You're not supposed to be thinking about what side someone is on. You're supposed to decide cases. Impartial. That's why lady justice has a blindfold and a scale, not 3D glasses and a popcorn bucket!” Moving on, Colbert played a clip of Martha-Ann reacting to the criticism she has received, “Look at me. I'm German. From Germany. My heritage is German. You come after me, I'm gonna give it back to you.” Colbert stretched for the fascism card, “Ohhh. That clears it up. She's not a fascist. She's just hell-bent on revenge the ‘German way.’ Auf Deutch. Of course, if you're hanging out with Martha-Ann, we're talking' flag. Meanwhile, Klepper began his musings by also declaring that the recordings prove Alito’s critics right, “it turns out that the guy who overruled Roe v. Wade is a bit of a religious nut. But what was much more interesting is that this activist also recorded Alito's wife, Martha-Ann Alito. She's already been in the news for flying an upside-down American flag at their house after Trump lost the 2020 election, and then for flying a far-right Appeal to Heaven flag at their beach house. And if you thought two flags was a lot of flags, this lady is just getting started.”     After a clip of Martha-Ann expressing her desire to fly a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag in response to Pride Month, Klepper replied, “So, Martha-Ann got so mad after seeing a Pride flag that she's planning to put up a whole bunch of Jesus flags to combat it.” Extending his middle finger, he added, “Because everyone knows Jesus is the ultimate symbol of ‘[bleep] your love!’ And also, if she runs out of flags, don't worry: She's thinking up more flags in her head! Klepper also played a clip of Martha-Ann dreaming up her ideal flag, “This is how I -- I satisfy myself. I made a flag. It's white and it's yellow and orange flames around it. And in the middle is the word ‘Vergogna!’ ‘Vergogna’ in Italian means ‘Shame.’”  Enjoying the phrasing, Klepper suggested the Alitos would support the return of segregation, “Oh! wow, first off, what a burn on Justice Alito. Your wife is going around telling strangers that she has to think up new flags to satisfy herself. ‘I gotta think of new flags, cause it's not like there's anybody else taking care of my needs! Somebody's gotta Plessy my Ferguson!’” Meanwhile, on the other news of the day, Colbert didn’t see what the big deal about Hunter Biden is considering he’s not running for president, while Klepper applauded his guilty verdict as a win because it compelled Republicans to support gun control. Here is a transcript for the June 11 show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 6/11/2024 11:45 PM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: There's more controversy for Supreme Court justice and baby who definitely does not want that airplane to come in for a landing, Samuel Alito. Alito's been in hot water lately for, among other things, flying multiple flags that support the January 6th insurrectionists outside of his homes. Now he has been secretly recorded saying what the flags only hinted at. See, last week, Alito attended a fancy dinner held by the Supreme Court historical society, where he met a woke in sheep's clothing, liberal activist and filmmaker Lauren Windsor, who asked questions of the justice as though she were a religious conservative. Now, I know that seems shady, but it's a legitimate interview technique taught at the Borat School of Journalism. Yes. The Borat school of journalism. Also where Alito learned how to blame everything on "My wiiiife." Here's Alito after Windsor complains that there's no way religious conservatives can possibly compromise with liberals. SAMUEL ALITO: I think you're probably right. One side or the other, one side or the other is going to win. I don't know. I mean, there can be a -- a way of working, a way of living together peacefully, but it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can't be compromised. COLBERT: You're a Supreme Court justice. You're not supposed to be thinking about what side someone is on. You're supposed to decide cases. Impartial. That's why lady justice has a blindfold and a scale, not 3D glasses and a popcorn bucket! These surreptitious recordings also captured Alito's flag-addicted wife, Martha-Ann. Now, she's already caught a lot of heat from the flag stuff. And when Windsor asked her about the blowback about the flags, Martha-Ann said she'd get even. LAUREN WINDSOR: They're persecuting you. MARTHA-ANN ALITO: Look at me. I'm German. From Germany. My heritage is German. You come after me, I'm gonna give it back to you. COLBERT: Ohhh. That clears it up. She's not a fascist. She's just hell-bent on revenge the "German way." Auf Deutch. Of course, if you're hanging out with Martha-Ann, we're talking' flag. MARTHA ANN-ALITO: You know what I want? I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag, because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month. COLBERT: I believe we actually have footage of Martha-Ann after seeing a Pride flag from her beach house. JENNIFER COOLIDGE [as Tonya Mcquoid in The White Lotus]: These gays, they're trying to murder me. COLBERT: But that-- I got a few things, we’ll figure it out-- but that was just the tip of the flagberg. Because as it turns out, Justice Alito may have tried to discourage his wife's favorite hobby. MARTHA ANN-ALITO: And he's like, "Oh, please don't put up a flag." I said, "I won't do it because I'm deferring to you. But when you are free of this nonsense, I'm putting it up and I'm gonna send them a message every day. Maybe every week, I'll be changing the flags. They'll be all kinds. I made a flag in my head. This is how I satisfy myself. COLBERT: Satisfy yourself? Really? I'm not gonna kink shame. But why is her anger always channeled through flags? I'd love to see her get cut off in traffic. "Oooh, have I got a flag in my head for you, Subaru Outback. Ooh, just two weeks from now, just you wait. You are gonna get it. Siri, navigate to Joan fabrics." Now, Martha-Ann went on to describe her perfect imaginary revenge flag. MARTA-ANN ALITO: It's white and it has yellow and orange flames around it. And in the middle is the word "Vergogna." "Vergogna" in Italian means shame, vergogna. V-E-R-G-O-G-N-A. Vergogna. COLBERT: First of all, there's already an Italian flag that means shame. And it's this one, but, I can go for a little. But I can see why she took the trouble to spell it out. "Oh, look, the Alitos put up a new flag. What does it say? Ver-gina? With flames around it? I think somebody has a yeast infection! Take an oatmeal bath, honey!"  Look, Mrs. Alito, I know you want to express your disapproval of pride month by hoisting a "Vergogna" up the flagpole, but unfortunately, "Vergogna Flagpole" is already the name of a very successful drag queen.  When she wasn't fantasizing about attacking people through semaphore, it sounded like Martha-Ann was having a pretty good time at the party. Here she is bidding farewell to a friend named cat. MARTHA-ANN ALITO: Bye, baby! Bye, cat! Meow, mow, mow, mow. Mow, mow. She's a bad girl.  COLBERT: By the way, "Meow, mow, mow, mow, she's a bad girl," also the catchphrase of Vergogna Flagpole *** Comedy Central The Daily Show 6/11/2024 11:01 PM ET JORDAN KLEPPER: But let's move on to some news out of the Supreme Court. Last weekend, an undercover activist snuck into a private reception and secretly recorded Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. And no surprise: it turns out that the guy who overruled Roe v. Wade is a bit of a religious nut. But what was much more interesting is that this activist also recorded Alito's wife, Martha-Ann Alito. She's already been in the news for flying an upside-down American flag at their house after Trump lost the 2020 election, and then for flying a far-right Appeal to Heaven flag at their beach house. And if you thought two flags was a lot of flags, this lady is just getting started. MARTHA-ANN ALITO: You know what I want? I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month. And he's like, “oh, please don't put up a flag.” I said, “I won't do it because I'm deferring to you. But when you are free of this nonsense, I'm putting it up and I'm going to send them a message every day, maybe every week, I'll be changing the flags.” KLEPPER: Holy shit, this lady loves flags. I mean, once Alito retires, that house is going to look like a [bleep] Spanish galleon! I mean, lady, the United Nations called, they said, tone it down with the flags. Even Betsy Ross is like, "Jesus, I was only doing this because we didn't have Netflix." Liking flags this much is, ironically, the ultimate red flag. And, yeah, it's a thinker. And I love how she refers to her husband's job as "nonsense." This man is one of the most consequential men in the country, but she's like, "I can't wait until you're done with your little black robe bullshit so I can focus on what really matters: semaphore." So, Martha-Ann got so mad after seeing a Pride flag that she's planning to put up a whole bunch of Jesus flags to combat it. Because everyone knows Jesus is the ultimate symbol of "[bleep] your love!" And also, if she runs out of flags, don't worry: She's thinking up more flags in her head! MARTHA-ANN ALITO” There'll be all kinds. I made a flag in my head. This is how I -- I satisfy myself. I made a flag. It's white and it's yellow and orange flames around it. And in the middle is the word "Vergogna!" "Vergogna" in Italian means "Shame."  KLEPPER: Oh! wow, first off, what a burn on Justice Alito. Your wife is going around telling strangers that she has to think up new flags to satisfy herself. "I gotta think of new flags, cause it's not like there's anybody else taking care of my needs! Somebody's gotta Plessy my Ferguson!  Come on! Not to be a hater, but designing a special flag for yourself is literally a homework assignment my kindergartener just had. He drew a butt farting on a stick figure man who I'm pretty sure is supposed to be me. I don't love it, but it still beats "Vergogna."  

People still talk about how crazy these past 4 years have been, and they can’t believe the changes we've gone through, not only as a nation but as the whole planet. The post What the next ten years will bring and why prepping now is a must appeared first on Survivopedia.

There are so many examples of due process violations in the Trump cases, Mark Levin believes that “they’re almost impossible to compile.” “What was the point of all these due process violations? To influence the election,” Levin says, answering himself. “How? They get a guilty verdict. And so, while you’re in the one lane trying to overturn that guilty verdict, you’re in this other path you're trying to create to the steps of the Supreme Court.” “You have the interference in a presidential election,” Levin adds, noting that this and the due process violations are what Trump must focus on in order to win this legal battle. “You have equal protection arguments that you can make as well,” he says. So, how does Trump get this to the Supreme Court? “You’re building a path to the Supreme Court that the Supreme Court may not entertain. You still have deadlines on the appellate process in the state. You don’t want to blow through those, so you still need to do that for your client. And ultimately, if the best thing you can do has to be done after the election, then it’s done after the election." “But you don’t have to just stand for that, so you try and build a path to the Supreme Court,” Levin says. While Levin notes that he can’t find a runaround way to the Supreme Court, he’s found another way. “I’ve spent time digging into this,” Levin says. “In New York, you would file the notice of appeal to preserve your right to appeal and ask for a stay of the trial court.” “I would file an emergency notice of appeal,” he continues, adding, “and I would seek from that New York appellate court an expedited or emergency review. Then, I might file applications for the common law writs with the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Supreme Court can take action if it chooses and legitimately claim the harm is immediate and ongoing.” Want more from Mark Levin?To enjoy more of "the Great One" — Mark Levin as you've never seen him before — subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.