Author of The Dark Secrets of Survival and the online course SHTF Survival Boot Camp No matter what the prepping industry and preppersphere likes to say‚ you usually will never have a perfect plan‚ perfect settings‚ or perfect gear that will work everywhere and every time. And no‚ you are not perfect‚ you are just human being. It is not only connected to prepping and survival‚ this‚ you should be best‚ first‚ “perfect” or whatever is part of normal modern consumerism world. The thing is that in survival‚ your “I am perfect”or “My preps should be perfect” may lead you to mistakes and eventually to bad things. Good enough For all of us who are normal average folks‚ there is something that we will be forced to implement sooner or later when SHTF and it is thought (or principle) that we called “good enough” here in the Balkans. At this moment‚ you need to understand that “good enough” works only if you put it in context. It works differently in different contexts. Here is one example: is rainwater that you collected from the rooftop safe for drinking? In the context of normal everyday life (not SHTF) where you want to collect water from roof for drinking‚ it is not safe for drinking. Why? Well‚ roofs may be dirty‚ air may be polluted (so the rain is polluted‚ too)‚ gutters may contain dirt… and you have normal “pure” water available from other sources (tap water‚ bottled water from the store‚ etc.) So‚ why would you risk your own health by drinking rainwater? Even after you invested work in filtering and boiling it‚ it is still not completely safe‚ and you still have normal access to clean water from normal sources. So‚ in this context it is not safe‚ do not bother. Now‚ if you put this question of “is rainwater collected from roof safe to drink” in time of SHTF‚ when normal services are not working‚ there is no running water‚ no electricity‚ no normal life… you have a completely different context. You have a situation now where you do not have drinking water‚ and possibly it is dangerous to go and look for safer sources of water‚ so basically‚ you are in a moment where you going to choose whether you are going to drink rainwater or you are going to suffer without water‚ which will lower your other capabilities that you are going to need hard in time of SHTF‚ and eventually‚ you will die without it. Well‚ you are going to drink it because‚ in this context‚ it is good enough. Of course‚ you will do whatever you want to make it cleaner‚ boiling‚ filtering etc‚ but it is not going to be 100 percent safe – it will be good enough because you need it very much. You are still going to be faced with the danger of drinking some amounts of chemicals from pollution or roof type or whatever‚ BUT in this context‚ it is about you choosing between having some bad impact on your kidney or liver that might show up years later or you dying without water (or being not ready to defend yourself or to collect other resources because you are desperately thirsty). Another example would be sleeping in partially destroyed building where there is probably asbestos dust from destroyed roofs and other material. If you are choosing between standing in the rain and hiding in that partially destroyed building with asbestos dust‚ common sense says you will stay in the rain. On the other side‚ if we change the context and you are choosing between that asbestos dust and being rounded up in the street and shot in the middle of a civil war or some similar SHTF‚ you would run to an asbestos dust building and spend the night there because it is good enough. This good enough is something that you will meet very often when SHTF‚ and it is very important to recognize it in time-fast‚ so it may save your life. Sometimes‚ from two bad things‚ you will have to choose a thing that is less bad. We are conditioned to recognize bad things‚ especially if we live in functional societies. We have learned to see things that are not safe. It is good to spot those things‚ but when SHTF‚ almost all things become unsafe‚ and usually‚ you will have to choose things that are good enough‚ but at the same time‚ they will still be unsafe. Two ends of this There is something else that needs to be mentioned here: there are two opposite ends to this. One is “Nah‚ whatever‚ “and the other is “It needs to be perfect.” Both are kind of wrong. Based on this being good enough‚ you might think of it as I said: Everything will work and everything will be good enough. That is not true. This end is shrugging your shoulders and not taking any precautions at all or trying to make things the best that you can in the situation. It is not like that: good enough means that you recognize what will work and what will save you in a given context‚ what will work and save you in that moment when danger is immediately – and use it that is good enough. The other end is that you need to be 100 percent sure that something is working before you use it (do it); in other words‚ it needs to be perfect. It will never be perfect when SHTF. It cannot be. Plans will fail‚ equipment will not work‚ people will fail…you will work with what you have with what is good enough. The point is that you will need to be somewhere between these two ends‚ but of course‚ always aim to be the best. If we use both the above examples (rainwater and asbestos dust building)‚ common sense says you will aim for the best your filtrate and clean that water in whatever way you possibly have and can. You will aim for best. But if you need it badly‚ boiling and filtering it through clothes will be good enough if you do not have any other additional way of filtering and cleaning it. If you need fast and badly to take shelter in that asbestos roof building‚ you’ll do it‚ but still‚ you might wear some kind of mask or pull your t-shirt up over your face‚ or you’ll choose a place with less destruction in the building. You’ll take care that something not fall on your head… you’ll do as best as possible. Good enough is good enough. So‚ this good enough is not you being negligent‚ and it is not you shivering in fear because nothing is completely safe. It is you doing things‚ completing task with choosing less risks‚ less bad stuff. It is you surviving by being smart. What are your thoughts on “good enough?” Can you think of any other examples where this might apply? Do you have any reasons why you don’t agree with this philosophy? Let’s discuss it in the comments section. About Selco: Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege‚ without electricity‚ running water‚ or food distribution.  In his online works‚ he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t‚ tells you the hard lessons he learned‚ and shares how he prepares today. He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens‚ chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months. Read more of Selco’s articles here. Buy his PDF books here. Buy his #1 New Release paperback‚ The Dark Secrets of Survival here. Take advantage of a deep and profound insight into his knowledge by signing up for his online course SHTF Survival Boot Camp. Learn the inside story of what it was really like when the SHTF with his online course One Year in Hell. Find his website here: SHTFSchool.com Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal‚ hard‚ and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world. The post SELCO: Good Enough Is More Likely Than Perfect When the SHTF appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Tim Murtaugh became a familiar face to many Americans as President Donald Trump’s communications director for his 2020 reelection campaign. As one of Trump’s most visible spokesmen‚ Murtaugh had a front-row seat to the most-watched campaign in history. But just a mere four years earlier‚ Murtaugh found himself in a much different spot. After struggling with alcoholism for years‚ he was jailed in 2015 for public drunkenness and unsure of his fate. That’s when he decided to give up alcohol and focus on turning his life around. Murtaugh would go on to work for Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue before joining Trump’s reelection campaign. Today‚ he’s running his own communications firm. He joined “The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about his new book—out today—called “Swing Hard in Case You Hit It: My Escape from Addiction and Shot at Redemption on the Trump Campaign.” Listen to the interview‚ watch the video‚ or read an abridged and edited transcript below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqVHHWKQgKs Rob Bluey: Tim Murtaugh‚ you’re the author of a new book‚ “Swing Hard in Case You Hit It.” You’re somebody who our Daily Signal audience will probably remember as a return guest to this show. You’re the founder and principal at Line Drive Public Affairs and the former communications director for the Trump 2020 campaign. Tim Murtaugh: Good to see you‚ Rob. Thanks very much. And there was a time where I was a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation as well. Bluey: We appreciate your contributions during that time. And I’m thankful to you for telling this story. Take us back to in 2015. You are in a Fairfax County jail. It illustrates so much how far you have come in just a few short years. Murtaugh: On May 16‚ 2015‚ I went out and as I liked to do at the time‚ got drunk. And at that time‚ I was charged with drunken public intoxication‚ something along those lines. I ended up in the Fairfax County Adult Correctional Center and that’s where I came to. That day was different from many of the other times that I had been drinking too much because I was on probation for the second of my two DUIs‚ and I had 80 days of suspended jail time hanging above my head. And if I had gotten convicted of that public intoxication charge‚ I was going to have to go serve nearly three months in jail‚ and it would have been pretty much the end of everything. I would have lost my job on Capitol Hill. I would have lost my career. My family was about at the end of their rope. My new wife didn’t know what to do with me‚ and so it really could have been the end of everything. And that’s the day I took my last drink‚ and I have never looked back. I wrote this book for two reasons. One‚ because when I was in rehab—and I went to rehab five times—when I was there‚ I spent a lot of time in the bookstore buying titles and just devouring them. They were more autobiographical in nature‚ people writing about their own stories and how they made it through their battles with addiction. I wanted to write a book that helped people like me who are in rehab. The other reason was‚ I had some opposition researchers coming after us on the Trump campaign. Back in 2020‚ they were trying to get reporters to write stories about me and my background. And I thought‚ if I just write a book about it myself‚ they’ll never be able to attack me with it again. This is the story of my 2 lives – one with alcohol and one without. (Spoiler: one is better than the other.)Oh‚ and half of it is about politics &; the 2020 Trump campaign.It would be so kind if you’d take a moment‚ check it out &; consider ordering:https://t.co/RIgo9dWk59— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) January 26‚ 2024 Bluey: Was it difficult for you to put it all out there? Murtaugh: Writing it‚ actually‚ was cathartic. I’m not sure that there’s any single person who knows everything that I went through. My wife certainly knows a lot about it. My parents and my brother‚ my close friends and close relatives‚ know big parts of it. But I don’t know that anybody‚ except for me‚ knows everything else that I went through. I’m coming up on nine years now since I took my last drink. And I know that any day I could slip and pick one up. If I had that first one‚ it would be a downward spiral from that moment. Writing the book was an exercise that helped me stay sober for that period of time. When you have been an addict—and you’ve managed to defeat it—there is always that lingering fear that if I’m not careful this could come back and get me. Bluey: What have you found to be effective in terms of resisting that urge? Murtaugh: This is really just a story of how I did it. It’s not entirely about this. It’s half a political book‚ half about my life in the Trump 2020 campaign‚ which at the time‚ until this next one‚ was the most-watched political campaign in world history. There are a lot of stories from behind the scenes from that campaign. But the other half of the book‚ it is about my struggles with alcoholism and my whole story. It is not a how-to book—it’s just a story of how I got through it. >;>;>; An Insider Takes You Behind Scenes of Trump’s Campaign People might find some parts of it that they can relate to or at least laugh about because not every word of it is deadly serious. There are some ridiculous things that people like me do when they’re in the throes of all that. It shouldn’t be looked at as a how-to fix-it sort of manual—just how one guy got through it. That’s all it is. Bluey: You work in a high-stress environment‚ political communications‚ and I would imagine being right there in the forefront on the Trump campaign was at the pinnacle of that. What were some of the ways you found to be effective in terms of keeping your mind on your work and not getting distracted by alcohol? Murtaugh: There’s a lot of pressure in politics. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the presidential campaign‚ which I was‚ or on lower campaigns‚ which I have also done. Whether they’re races on the state level‚ congressional‚ Senate‚ governor’s races—it doesn’t matter. There’s varying amounts of pressure. It all seems like the most important thing in the world when you’re going through it. It helps to stay busy for sure. I broke the day up into little chunks. Could I get out of bed and get dressed and get ready to go to work without having to stop for a drink? Could I get from home to the office without stopping to buy a drink? Could I make it through the day and not sneak out somewhere at noon? And then at the end of the day‚ can I make it all the way home without stopping somewhere to pick up a bottle or to stop and get a drink? I relied a lot on Alcoholics Anonymous‚ going to meetings like that. I found using the Serenity Prayer‚ just helped me if I had a little storm going on in my brain and I was worried that maybe I was going to veer off to the side and do something that I shouldn’t do. Stopping for 15 to 20 seconds to say the Serenity Prayer really helped me sort of refocus and get back on the rails. Books about Biden are not selling well‚ so maybe this will interest people.It’s not like any other political book you’ve ever read – it’s partly about the 2020 Trump campaign &; partly about my battle with alcohol.Order now for Tuesday’s release:https://t.co/RIgo9dWk59— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) March 28‚ 2024 Bluey: Family played a big part in your recovery. You come from a proud family. Your grandfather is Danny Murtaugh‚ the legendary manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates‚ a two-time World Series champion. What role does family play for others who might be struggling with alcoholism? Murtaugh: It’s a really big‚ very important part of it. My wife is a very private person and she doesn’t relish a lot of these details getting out—or any of them really. But in fact‚ a few years back‚ it was her idea to write this book. And if she had not been on board with it‚ I wouldn’t have done it. And the fact that she is on board‚ is an illustration of how important she has been to me throughout my entire recovery. Without her‚ I think there’s no question that I would either still be in jail or I would be dead. I don’t think there’s any two ways about it. And my parents were very instrumental in guiding me to rehab and helping me. Bluey: In 2015‚ you found yourself at a low point. Then‚ within a span of four years‚ you are the communications director for the most-watched presidential campaign in history. Did President Trump know about your circumstances and did others on the campaign know about what you were going through? Murtaugh: I felt like it was my responsibility to tell them. I started on the Trump campaign in February 2019. It was about four years after I had already taken my last drink. However‚ I did have pretty checkered past and I did have a history with law enforcement. I had two DUIs‚ served five days in jail with some suspended time for the first one‚ served 10 days in jail with 80 days suspended for the second one. I also had a variety of different drunk in public and different public intoxication charges. Opposition researchers‚ and anybody who looked into it‚ would find all that stuff in about 10 minutes. So there wasn’t any point in hiding it. When I went to work in the Trump administration for Secretary Sonny Perdue—I was his communications director for two years before I went to the Trump campaign—I told Secretary Perdue up front as I was interviewing. And then when I was being considered for the Trump campaign‚ I told Brad Parscale‚ the campaign manager‚ that very same thing. I said‚ “You should look into this because this is what I’ve got in my past and the president needs to know this.” At the time‚ Sonny Perdue said‚ “Listen‚ as long as you’re not drinking now‚ I really appreciate you telling me‚ you’re going to be fine.” And then Brad Parscale went and ran it past the president and came back and he said‚ “Look‚ the president likes a good redemption story. He likes a good comeback story.” He himself doesn’t drink because he blames alcohol for the death of his brother‚ but the president was aware of it. And Brad said‚ “You know what? You’ve conquered it‚ let’s move on. And if anybody comes after you‚ I’ll stand by you.” And he did because a lot of reporters called us because they had gotten the material from the opposition researchers‚ and they were threatening to write stories. Brad stood by me‚ and the campaign stood by me‚ and the president stood by me. None of those stories ever got written. We managed to talk them out of it and talk them into agreeing with us that that was in the past. Bluey: Are there any resources that you would recommend to individuals who may be struggling with addiction right now? Murtaugh: There is always going to be an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that you can find and get to. And they truly are welcoming. Anyone can walk in off the street and find people who understand what you’re going through. That helped me an awful lot. If you need more than that‚ then find a way to check yourself into a 28-day program. An inpatient rehab program can do wonders for people. As for me‚ I went to rehab five times. So sometimes it doesn’t take right away. I would hope that people pick up the book. It’s called “Swing Hard in Case You Hit It‚” available on Amazon.com right now‚ or other retailers as well. I hope that they can find some humor in it‚ and also maybe find some way to look at it and say that I can relate to it. Bluey: Tim Murtaugh‚ thanks so much for having the courage to share your story. We’re proud of all that you’ve accomplished. Murtaugh: Rob‚ thank you very much. I appreciate it. The post Tim Murtaugh’s Comeback Story: How Trump Gave Recovering Addict Chance at Redemption appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When you walk 30 miles with your dog this April‚ you can help the American Red Cross in their effort to support people impacted by disasters.

Elon Musk and the New Space Age

TDS in One Video

The US state of Arizona has taken the unusual step of naming a state planet. Even more unusually‚ they have chosen Pluto – which is not a planet – as their representative in the solar system.A surprising number of astronomical bodies have been discovered by observing Uranus. Observing the planet in the 19th century‚ astronomers noticed that Uranus was moving in unexpected ways‚ according to the Newtonian theory of gravity. Though the discrepancies were small‚ there was a difference between the observed orbit of Uranus and the way Newtonian physics predicted its orbit to be.In 1846‚ astronomer and mathematician Urbain Le Verrier predicted that an unknown planet beyond Uranus was altering its orbit‚ and made predictions as to the orbit of this unknown object. The object turned out to be Neptune‚ but Uranus still had some secrets hidden away up there. American astronomer Percival Lowell noticed that there were still unexplained movements in the orbit of Uranus‚ as well as Neptune. In 1905‚ he suggested these were caused by the pull of another unknown planet‚ and made predictions as to its orbit.Based on the predictions from Lowell and other astronomers‚ Pluto was eventually located in 1930. American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff‚ Arizona looked at areas of the sky where astronomers predicted Pluto would be. He used a blink comparator‚ a device that quickly flipped between two images of the same area of sky allowing any slight differences to be noticed more easily‚ and found an object which had moved between January 23 and 29‚ 1930.This was soon confirmed to be a planet (for a while‚ anyway)‚ which was named Pluto by Venetia Burney Phair‚ an 11-year-old girl who wrote to the Lowell Observatory.     For a time‚ Pluto sat on diagrams of the solar system alongside actual planets like Jupiter and Earth. But before Pluto had even spent a year enjoying its planet status (Pluto's orbit takes 248 Earth years)‚ it was reclassified as a dwarf planet and kicked off our diagrams once more.The International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded Pluto in 2006 as it did not meet all the criteria for what astronomers call a planet. Though it orbits the Sun‚ and has enough mass to make it into a nearly spherical shape‚ it does not dominate its own orbit. Pluto has not tidied up enough of its orbit of other space rocks in order to qualify as a planet‚ sharing its orbit with other large objects that do not orbit the dwarf planet.     Despite this demotion‚ Arizona signed a bill making Pluto its official planet‚ as it was discovered by astronomers in the state.“That’s a major astronomical achievement and it happened here in Arizona‚” Representative Justin Wilmeth‚ who introduced the bill‚ AZFamily reports. “That’s something for every single citizen of this state to be proud of and it’s why I decided to sponsor the bill.”“Is it a planet? While many believe it is now a dwarf planet‚ others in the astronomical community still view it as a planet‚” Wilmeth added‚ though we should stress it is not a planet. “Whatever the case‚ all I wanted to do with this bill is celebrate Arizona’s important achievements in space and astronomy.”

Megaliths‚ those large stone structures that point to the heavens or form larger gravity-defying arrangements‚ have been a source of speculation and mystery for generations of people. And while you may be able to think of one or two famous examples‚ such as Stonehenge‚ they are surprisingly common across the world. In fact‚ there are estimated to be at least 35‚000 just in Europe. But which of these incredible and mysterious stone monuments can boast being the oldest of them all?This may sound like a simple question‚ but it is extremely hard to answer. On the one hand‚ it is difficult to accurately date ancient structures‚ and on the other‚ new discoveries are constantly being made.Before we dive into discussing some of the oldest currently known examples from across the world‚ it is worth explaining what we know about megaliths as a form of prehistoric architecture.What is a megalith?Megaliths are essentially large stone erections (stop it) that were created by ancient people as monuments‚ tombs‚ or other structures. The name itself is derived from the Ancient Greek words “mega”‚ meaning great or large‚ and “lithos”‚ meaning stone.Despite their ancient origins‚ the formal study of these stone constructions did not start in earnest until the second half of the 19th century. However‚ this was by no means an exact science. There was neither a standardized definition for how big or heavy these stones had to be to qualify as “megaliths”‚ and their typology was more restricted than it is today.  Having said that‚ as Luc Laporte and colleagues state in their book Megaliths of the World‚ “[a]lthough the term ‘megalith’ is familiar to everyone‚ it is not construed in the same way by researchers (or the public) in different places”‚ even now.For a long time‚ megaliths were thought to come in two types – standing stones (what are called menhirs)‚ like those seen across the British Isles‚ Carnac in France‚ Doring in Tibet‚ or those of al-Tihamah in Yemen. These are some of the most recognizable megaliths in the world‚ but their exact purpose and social meaning remains inconclusive in many instances‚ despite the number of hypotheses‚ suggestions‚ and sheer guesswork out there.The second type were tombs and funerary chambers‚ known as dolmens. These structures tended to be circular or polygonal in shape‚ and usually from large stone blocks. Some were covered with earth while others were surrounded by stones to form a tumulus. Usually‚ these spaces had a stone slab that could be moved to seal them shut.As time went by‚ the category of “megalith” was expanded to include other forms of ancient stone architecture from across the world‚ such as the sculptures of Easter Island‚ which are neither menhirs nor dolmens.So what are some of the oldest megalithic sites from across the world?Göbekli TepeThe winner of this category is‚ hands down‚ Göbekli Tepe‚ what some believe to be the oldest known temple in the world (though this is just one possibility) that is situated in modern Turkey. The complex was built around 11‚500 years ago in what was Upper Mesopotamia and involves several circular structures containing massive T-shaped pillars. Some of these pillars have been decorated with intricate carvings.  Göbekli Tepe‚ in modern Turkey‚ is believed by some to be the oldest known temple in the world.Image Credit: omurbilgili/Shutterstock.comDuring a recent study‚ researchers concluded that this incredible site was not just a set of oddly placed structures but was designed as a complex with specific underlying geometric patterns. This means it was built before the rise of agriculture‚ which means the people living around it were still hunter-gatherers. It would be thousands of years before other complex forms of architecture appeared.Of course‚ this has generated significant speculation among archaeologists and others - some more outlandish than others – to try to account for this oddity. Some argue it is evidence of some long lost highly advanced civilization or alien influence because they believe ancient people could not organize themselves to create such incredible and complex structures.However‚ archaeologists have provided ample explanations for how hunter-gatherers could still create these megaliths. It simply requires us to stop thinking simple living equaled simplistic‚ primitive thinking.Nabta PlayaAs with the stone structures that make up Stonehenge in England‚ today‚ many megaliths from across the world were likely designed as tools for tracking time and the passing of seasons. These celestial clocks were significant for tracing the movement of stars or measuring the sun’s location during the annual summer and winter solstices‚ or the spring and fall equinox.Most of the European megaliths designed for this purpose were built between 6‚500 and 4‚400 years ago (Stonehenge is about 5‚000 years old)‚ but they may not have been the first of their kind.Nabta Playa‚ located in North Africa (around 700 miles south of Giza‚ Egypt)‚ is currently one of the oldest known stone circles in the world. According to one interpretation‚ it could be the oldest astronomical observatory too‚ though that is debated (the stones may also be stele‚ part of a symbolic necropolis).A reconstruction of the Nabta Playa stone circle by the Aswan Nubia Museum.Image Credit: Raymbetz via Wikimedia Commons‚ (CC BY-SA 3.0)The site was likely built over 7‚000 years ago by the Ru’at El Baquar‚ nomadic cattle cult worshippers who are thought to have used it to trace the sun’s movement and to predict the arrival of monsoons (the desert location where the stones stand was‚ at the time‚ a lush environment that became a lake during the wet season).It was first identified by researchers in the 1970s who were taking part in a UNESCO-funded initiative to help identify and relocate ancient structures that may have been at risk of damage from the development of a dam.Since its discovery‚ archaeologists have found hundreds of hearths‚ cultural artifacts‚ and cattle bones dated to the mid-Neolithic period‚ suggesting that the nomadic peoples visited Nabta Playa at specific points of the year.Megaliths of PeruMegaliths can also be found on the other side of the planet. Centuries before the pyramids appeared in Egypt‚ and around the same time that Stonehenge was being erected (I mean it‚ stop)‚ hunter-gatherers in what is modern Peru were creating their own megaliths.At one site in the Peruvian Andes‚ called Callacpuma‚ ancient people created an 18-meter (around 60-foot) structure‚ consisting of concentric walls of large‚ free-standing megalithic stones. They are currently estimated to be around 4‚750 years old and probably one of the oldest circular plazas in the area.As with the examples mentioned above‚ these stones were erected (stop it)‚ centuries before the advent of agriculture and before the development of ceramics.The current hypothesis is that this site probably had ceremonial significance and was used‚ at least periodically‚ as a ritual space from around 1800 BCE-900 BCE and again between 900-200 BCE.To be sure‚ there are many more fascinating examples of megalithic structures from various other parts of the world‚ each with their own unique stories and meanings for the regions they inhabit. However‚ the examples discussed here show that the history of megaliths is not particular to any individual people or culture‚ but rather an expression of humanity’s deeper history. As more examples of this type of architecture continue to emerge‚ it is certain our understanding of their significance will develop with them.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

The temperature at which a material melts‚ subject to pressure‚ follows a single parabolic equation‚ one scientist has claimed‚ providing a surprisingly simple solution to a long-standing problem.If you want to turn a solid to liquid the usual approach is to add heat. However‚ the temperature at which melting occurs depends not only on the substance involved but the pressure applied. Consequently‚ physicists and chemists use temperature-pressure phase diagrams‚ where the X-axis measures temperature and the Y-axis pressure‚ to show the conditions under which something will be solid‚ liquid‚ or gas. The melting line marks the boundary between the first two. Knowing where that line sits can be essential for choosing advanced engineering materials‚ and has applications in areas such as drug design.These diagrams are usually produced by expensive trial and error – it would save a lot of money and heartache if there was a universal formula for predicting that line. That is what Professor Kostya Trachenko of Queen Mary University claims to have provided‚ although not everyone is entirely convinced.A phase diagram for water under different temperatures and pressures. The line from gas to solid and liquid is well understood‚ solid to liquid has to be pieced together experimentally.Image Credit: Cmglee - Own work‚ CC BY-SA 3.0‚ via wikimedia commonsTrachenko has recently published a book called Theory of Liquids‚ and has used advances he and others have made on the topic to conclude melting lines can be described by a simple parabolic equation. Instead of needing to conduct experiments using ever-greater temperatures and pressures‚ with all the accompanying difficulties that involves‚ the line can be projected using measurements in more benign conditions‚ Trachenko argues.Besides the practical value‚ such a discovery would also imply a fundamental commonality to apparently unrelated materials."The simplicity and universality of this result are particularly exciting‚" Professor Trachenko said in a statement‚ although simplicity is a relative description here. "It suggests that melting‚ despite its complexities‚ exhibits a fundamental unity across diverse systems‚ from noble gases to metals." Trachenko derived the equation by focusing on the energy of a substance at the point where it melts or solidifies‚ rather than the entropy as most previous efforts have. He concludes the melting line is set by the Planck constant and the electron mass and charge‚ as well as the shells in which a substance’s outer electrons exist.In one sense the existence of such a formula should not be a surprise. An equation for the point where liquids turn to gas is already known‚ based on theoretical thermodynamics. The same is true for sublimation – when solids turn directly to gas without a liquid stage‚ as occurs for comets approaching the Sun. On the other hand‚ given how heavily studied the topic is‚ finding something that has been missed until now is somewhat unexpected‚ particularly since the definition of the boundary between solid and liquid is not always straightforward. Moreover‚ Dr Sergey Kharpak of the German Aerospace Center told New Scientist Trachenko used approximations based on “physical intuition” at several points in his derivation. Without rigorous proofs of these estimates‚ Kharpak said‚ only extensive testing under conditions that have not been used before will be sufficient to establish if Trachenko is right.If ice queens and superhero sidekicks can freeze whatever they touch‚ there’s probably a market for fantasy villains to do the opposite but for that‚ you need to know where the line lies.The paper is open access in Physical Review E.

On February 18‚ 2024‚ an unidentified object was filmed (see video below) over the Italian city of Lucca‚ in the Tuscany region‚ which looked like a large white stick in the sky. In ufology‚ such UFOs are most often called cigar-shaped and it is believed that these ships are motherships‚ that is‚ large flying bases with a crew. This video‚ posted to a UFO group on Facebook‚ aroused great interest among both UFO enthusiasts and skeptics. First of all‚ because such a large UFO was photographed during the day (a very rare occurrence)‚ and secondly‚ it is not just a standard “cigar”‚ but with some unusual black rings on both edges. The object appeared to simply hover motionless in the sky‚ but it is unknown how long it remained there. It does not look like an airship‚ drone or other type of known aircraft. Unfortunately‚ it is unclear whether this video is genuine or fake. The post Cigar-shaped UFO mothership hovering over Italy appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Angie Layton‚ 45‚ from Amesbury‚ Wiltshire‚ England‚ was at home preparing dinner in the kitchen on the evening of March 28‚ 2024. At some point‚ she touched the mixer with her hand‚ and held a metal colander with the other‚ and suddenly there was a powerful explosion‚ reports dailymail.co.uk. “It literally felt like my whole kitchen just caught fire and went right through me. My girls were in the living room and they said they looked into the kitchen and my whole body was on fire. It was really scary.” It is believed that it was a lightning strike and at that moment Layton felt as if she had “crashed into a wall at 100 miles per hour.” “It was like a real big blow‚ a huge shock. And after that my whole body felt tingling for 3-4 hours. It was like every nerve in my body just went crazy. “I was examined by paramedics and they said they would tell others about it because they had never seen anything like this before.” Paramedics gave her an ECG and found her heart to be normal. Then they said that as long as Layton felt well‚ she would not be taken to the hospital. And she herself felt almost “okay”. Except that she had a severe headache all night. Her daughters‚ aged 19 and 23‚ said they saw their mother standing in the kitchen in “complete shock” and that her body seemed to be glowing. The lightning strike that struck Layton tore through her home‚ entering the antenna dish on the roof and then causing a fire in the kitchen. And then lightning somehow (possibly through wires) “jumped” to the neighbors’ house and a fire broke out there too. Fortunately‚ both houses were not badly damaged. “My whole body ached‚ it felt like I had been in a major training session. Every muscle and bone in my body ached.” “It felt like someone was looking out for me back then‚” Layton says‚ suggesting that it was a Guardian Angel protecting her from worse consequences. The post Woman miraculously survived a lightning strike: “I was all glowing” appeared first on Anomalien.com.