If you are going to look for intelligent life beyond Earth, there are few better candidates than the TRAPPIST-1 star system. It isn’t a perfect choice. Red dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 are notorious for emitting flares and hard X-rays in their youth, but the system is just 40 light-years away and has seven Earth-sized worlds. Three of them are in the potentially habitable zone of the star. They are clustered closely enough to experience tidal forces and thus be geologically active. If intelligent life arises easily in the cosmos, then there’s a good chance it exists in the TRAPPIST-1 system. But finding evidence of intelligent life on a distant planet is difficult. Unless Mr. Mxyzptlk or the Great Gazoo want to talk about your car’s extended car warranty, any signal we detect will likely be subtle, similar to the stray radio signals we emit from Earth. So the challenge is to distinguish actual signals from aliens, known as technosignatures, from the naturally occuring emissions of stars and planets. Recently a team used the Allen Telescope Array to capture 28 hours of TRAPPIST-1 signals in an effort to find the elusive aliens. The study began with a few assumptions. The biggest one was to presume that if TRAPPIST-1 has an intelligent civilization it is likely spread across more than one world. Given how compact the system is, that isn’t too outlandish. Getting from one world to another wouldn’t be much more difficult than it is for us to get to the Moon. With that assumption, the team then assumed that the worlds would transmit radio messages between each other. Since the signals would need to transverse interplanetary distances, they would be the strongest and most clear technosignatures in the system. So the team focused on signals during a planet-planet occultation (PPO). That is when two planets line up from our vantage point. During a PPO any signal sent from the far planet to the closer planet would spill over and eventually reach us. Illustration of a PPO event. Credit: Tusay, et al With 28 hours of observation data in hand, the team filtered out more than 11,000 candidate signals. Signals that were stronger than the expected range for natural signals. Then using computer models of the system they determined 7 possible PPO events and further narrowed things down to about 2,200 potential signals occurring during a PPO window. From there they went on to determine whether any of those signals were statistically unusual enough to suggest an intelligent origin. The answer to that was sadly no. Alas, if there are aliens in the TRAPPIST-1 system, we haven’t found them yet. But the result shouldn’t minimize this study. It is the longest continuous survey of the system to date, which is pretty cool. And it’s kind of amazing that we’ve reached the point where we’re able to do this study. We are actively searching known exoplanets in detail. Reference: Tusay, Nick, et al. “A Radio Technosignature Search of TRAPPIST-1 with the Allen Telescope Array.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.08313 (2024). The post SETI Scientists Scan TRAPPIST-1 for Technosignatures appeared first on Universe Today.

BOMBSHELL: Kamala Harris Once Threatened Legal Gun Owners with Forced Home Raids [WATCH]

The autumnal equinox is September 22, 2024. Here's how people will celebrate the start of fall around the world.

The groundbreaking artist made history in 1999 with his album ‘Hours’ when he sold it as an internet download before it hit stores: “Mark my words … we are not going back to record companies and through shops.”

Big Pharma & Big Tabbaco Ties to Food Industry and the Dangers They Pose to Our Health 9-16-2024 - Watch This Former Big Pharma Lobbyist Expose It Al - 73,818 views Sep. 16, 2024 Video Advice - 0:00 The Food Industry Was Created By The Cigarette Industry 0:26 They Bought The Largest Food Companies 1:54 Our Food Is A Science Experiment 5:47 The Dark Truth Behind The Industry 7:42 It Hijacks Our Biology 10:05 Cheaper and More Addictive 12:04 Lifetime Treatment - Lifetime Client 14:40 The Devil's Bargain _________________________________ Calley Means (Big Pharma Whistleblower): "People Will Get Sicker and Sicker!" This is Calley Means, exposing the dark connections between Big Pharma, and the Food Industry. Calley was an insider, a former lobbyist for Big Pharma and big-name companies like Coca-Cola, as you'll learn later in this discussion. Today, he’s what we call a whistleblower. Prepare yourself— what you're about to hear will change completely how you see the world of food. Watch the full interview here:    • Calley & Casey Means: How Big Pharma ...   Calley Means Links: Website: https://www.truemed.com/ Instagram:   / calleymeans   X: https://x.com/calleymeans ?? Get his book: https://amzn.to/3MNpXRh Tucker Carlson Links: Network: https://tuckercarlson.com/ Youtube:    / @tuckercarlson   Instagram:   / tuckercarlson   Facebook:   / tuckercarlsontcn   X: https://x.com/TuckerCarlson\ Store: https://store.tuckercarlson.com/ - Speaker: Calley Means Script and Narration by Video Advice Footage provided by Storyblocks and Artgrid Music provided by Epidemic Sound and Artlist References used under Fair Use Law - FAIR USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES - Mirrored From: https://www.youtube.com/@VideoAdvice

Seeing the northern lights is a common bucket list adventure for many people. After all, it ticks a lot of boxes—being a dazzling light show, rich historical experience and scientific phenomenon all rolled into one. Plus there’s the uncertainty of it all, never quite knowing if you’ll witness a vivid streak of otherworldly colors dance across the sky…or simply see an oddly colored cloud. It’s nature’s slot machine, if you will. Traveler and content creator Pency Lucero was willing to take that gamble. After thorough research, she stumbled upon an Airbnb in Rörbäck, Sweden with an actual picture of the northern lights shining above the cabin in the listing. With that kind of photo evidence, she felt good about her odds. However, as soon as she landed, snow began falling so hard that the entire sky was “barely visible,” she told Upworthy. Martin, the Airbnb host, was nonetheless determined to do everything he could to ensure his guests got to see the spectacle, even offering to wake Lucero up in the middle of the night if he saw anything. Then one night, the knock came. In a video Lucero posted to TikTok, which now has over 12 million views, we hear Martin ushering her out to take a peek. Then we see Lucero’s face light up just before seeing the sky do the same.“I thought it was a prank,” the onscreen text reads in the clip. “And then I see it….”Watch: @penslucero I’m on the verge of crying every time I watch this video I still cannot believe it. ? Rörbäck, Sweden “I was mostly in awe of what this Earth is capable of,” Lucero recalled. “I never expected it to be THAT beautiful for the naked eye.” This is a hopeful sentiment against the widely accepted notion that the northern lights are often better looking in photos than they are in real life.As Lucero asserted in a follow-up video, “Our video doesn’t do it justice at all…I would argue it’s even better for the naked eye.” @penslucero Replying to @PatriotFamilyHomes ♬ Golden Hour: Piano Version - Andy Morris Others were quick to back Lucero with anecdotes of their own experience.“It’s definitely possible to see it like in the pics. I saw it this winter in Norway, there was bright green, purple and so much movement.”“They’re so much better in person, the way they dance and move around is insane and beautiful.”Of course, if you ask Martin, who everyone agreed was the best host ever, seeing guest reactions of pure wonder and joy is even “better than the lights themselves.” But still, he can’t deny that there’s a breathtaking magic to it all. He shared with Upworthy that “Sometimes it feels like it will pull you up in the sky like you are in the middle of it. I wish everyone would have the chance to witness it.”When it comes to tips for actually seeing the northern lights, Martin admits it still mostly comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Luckily, his Airbnb listing can help with that.Nature has a great way of reminding us that beyond the distractions and distresses of modern life, there is sublime beauty waiting for the chance to capture our hearts. This article originally appeared on 03.27.23

Over the past few years, book bans have been happening in public libraries and schools across America. In the 2022-2023 school year alone, over 3,300 books were banned in 182 school districts in 37 states.Most books that have been banned deal with LGBTQ and racial themes. According to a report from PEN America, Florida has been the most aggressive state regarding book bans, accounting for about 40% of those taken off the shelves. On November 5, Collier County, Florida, announced that it was banning 300 books from its school libraries out of an effort to comply with state law HB 1069, which says books that depict or describe “sexual content” can be challenged for removal.Among the books banned by the school district was “Shopgirl,” a novella by author Steve Martin published in 2000. Martin is also the star of the hit Hulu show, “Only Murders in the Building,” featuring Martin Short and Selena Gomez.Upon hearing about his book being banned, Martin responded with his iconic wit on Instagram, saying, “So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County, Florida! Now, people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!" See on Instagram “Shopgirl” is a story about a young woman who works in a luxury department store and has an affair with a wealthy older man. It was made into a movie in 2005 starring Claire Danes and Martin. It’s believed the book was banned for its mild sexual content. On Amazon, the book is recommended for readers ages 13 and up. This article originally appeared on 11.11.23

Looking for a new job can be discouraging. Especially when it feels like you're constantly applying for jobs that you're qualified for, and some cases in which you're overqualified and never hearing back beyond the "thank you for applying" email. There doesn't seem to be a shortage in job openings but there does seem to be an abundance of people looking for work for months without finding gainful employment.According to Ceros Whaley, a former hiring manager at an unnamed company, the problem is that unsuspecting hopeful employees are unknowingly applying for "ghost jobs." Whaley shares that part of his job as a hiring manager was to create "ghost jobs," which are simply fake job listings. He explains that these job listings were not created to find more qualified people to fill positions but to "encourage" current employees to improve their performance. The entire thing likely feels a bit shocking to the average job seeker, but this is common practice for businesses according to Whaley. But it was his discomfort in continuing this practice that ultimately resulted in his termination from the company he can't name due to the non-disclosure agreement that he signed. Whaley says that he got into a little bit of a kerfuffle with his higher manager over the company continuing the ghost job ruse. By the time the man reached his tolerance level for posting fake jobs, he had already posted over 300 ghost jobs on sites like Indeed, Monster and other hiring sites. But Whaley shares that he found his morals and just couldn't continue the practice, though his manager told him that he was the best ghost job writer that the company had. a now hiring sign in front of a building Photo by Ernie Journeys on Unsplash "I'm not going to continue to post ghost job listings so our employees can act like they are scared to lose their jobs. That ruins their mental, it destroys their mental health deeply," Whaley recalls the conversation between he and his boss. The man shares that eventually his manager began yelling at him before telling him they would need to meet later and told him to clock out for the day. Giphy "It's disgusting. It's not just my company, it is every company I'm seeing doing this. It's Walmart doing this, it's Amazon doing this, I'm not going to disclose my company, but it's BestBuy doing this. But they're posting these fake job listings to trick you," Whaley exclaims, noting that the rates posted are often higher than current employees' salaries. But the frustrated former employee didn't stop there, he did a follow up video sharing how to spot ghost jobs and how to avoid them while you're job hunting. @ceroswhaley #fyp #storytime #job #foryou #viral ♬ original sound - CerosWhaley Pay attention to the posting date"If it was posted four days ago, five days ago, there's a high chance that you shouldn't click on that link," he says.According to Whaley if a job is posted five days ago it comes off as a flashing sign showing that the company is "hiring right now," even though they likely aren't. No time stampAnother tricky tactic that might slip right by you is job listings that don't have a time stamp. The former hiring manager simply says just don't apply for any job that doesn't have a time stamp on the listing. Please Help Sebastian Stan GIF by PBS SoCal Giphy Job descriptions that feel offWhaley explains, "job descriptions matter a lot when it comes to checking if it's a ghost job. If the job description is something insane, and I mean insane, when it doesn't really describe the job. That is also a way to tell when it is a ghost job. That is also a method to do that."There's a way around itMany people may not like his solutions, especially Millennials and Gen Z who are very phone averse. But Whaley says that the best way to get around ghost job listings is to call the potential job directly. It takes a little bit of work finding the correct number and probably a few breathing exercises to work up the nerve, but calling is an easy way to know if the job is real or not. He also says you can physically go to the place to speak with someone if you're feeling really bold. Whaley shares that potential employees tend to like the extra initiative that is shown by going a little old fashioned on the job hunt front. @ceroswhaley Replying to @Aυƚιʂƚιƈαʅʅყ.Dɾιʋҽɳ ?꧁༺༻꧂? #fyp #jobs #manager #reply #replyingtocomments #viral ♬ original sound - CerosWhaley "The best way to get a job at the job that I had–you had to call me. My direct line. I had a direct line. That was the difficult aspect. I was in an office you had to call my direct line and ask for my extension," Whaley says matter of factly. The last bit of advice he gives is to cross reference job postings you find on job listing boards with the company's actual website. "They'll post a job listing on Indeed or some job searching website and they won't have it on the website," the former hiring manager explains while informing people they can check small businesses' social media accounts. Job hunting can be soul sucking at times but using some of the tips Whaley shares, you just may be able to avoid wasting your time applying for jobs that don't exist.