Cirque du Soleil is a unique circus that went from being a group of about 20 performers to becoming an elaborate and jaw-dropping production that millions see in cities worldwide. Founded in 1984 in Montreal, this show is sure to keep growing and gaining fans around the globe. Here, you will learn the show's 35-year history. You'll also find out what the performers and owners are planning next and... Source

Most people have some kind of insurance, whether it's related to their health, car, or home. You might think that reading about insurance would be as interesting as watching paint dry, but there are actually some pretty interesting facts related to the topic. For instance, there's a famous coffee chain that spends more money on health insurance than its frappuccinos. And we mustn' Source

Trump (Sorta) Returns to Twitter/X -- and Channels Reagan; UPDATE

Walz Ordered Minneapolis to Abandon Police Precinct

Many of us like to jet off on holiday around this time of year, leaving in our plane’s wake a curious white trail. We’ve all seen them, but what are they?The white trails planes leave behind are called contrails, and they’re effectively artificial clouds produced by the water vapor released by aircraft engines. One more cloud in the sky might not seem all that bad, but new research has shown that contrails are changing with the development of modern aircraft, and it might not be doing our climate any favors.What are the white trails planes leave behind?Contrails are the white lines we see in the sky trailing behind planes, hence the name (con = condensation, trail = trail). They are the result of the way a jet engine works, as it burns fuel and creates water vapor as a by-product of combustion, and you know what else is made of water vapor? Clouds.This is why contrails look so much like clouds, because they effectively are. They’re most comparable to cirrus clouds, and it’s here that contrails can have downsides for the planet below.  Contrails' impact on the climateScience has no beef with naturally occurring clouds but it’s been noted that cirrus clouds do have an influence on the planet. This is because they can trap heat coming from the planet below, and the same is true of the artificially created contrail variety, adding to the downsides of air travel.“It's common knowledge that flying is not good for the climate,” said the lead author of a new study, Dr Edward Gryspeerdt, who is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute, in a statement. “However, most people do not appreciate that contrails and jet fuel carbon emissions cause a double whammy warming of the climate.”Gryspeerdt’s team established that contrails are lasting longer than ever before because planes have started flying at a higher altitude. Planes’ graduation up to heights of 12 kilometers (38,000 feet) was a smart move to experience less drag, meaning they generated fewer emissions. However, it comes with the side effect of contrails that take longer to dissipate.“This study throws a spanner in the works for the aviation industry,” continued Gryspeerdt. “Newer aircraft are flying higher and higher in the atmosphere to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The unintended consequence of this is that these aircraft flying over the North Atlantic are now creating more, longer-lived, contrails, trapping additional heat in the atmosphere and increasing the climate impact of aviation.”“This doesn’t mean that more efficient aircraft are a bad thing – far from it, as they have lower carbon emissions per passenger-mile. However, our finding reflects the challenges the aviation industry faces when reducing its climate impact.”Are contrails chemtrails?No.A study of scientists in the most relevant fields found even less support for that conspiracy theory than exists for climate change denial. Unfortunately, it seems even that wasn’t enough to get people to stop talking about it. So, if you need more convincing, click here.

Horses might be smarter than we give them credit for, a new study has indicated. In the study, horses were rewarded for tapping a target – but their reaction when a time-out penalty was introduced for tapping at the wrong time indicates that horses might have more of an eye for strategy and cost-benefit analysis than their brains were previously thought capable of.“At first we found that horses would just keep touching the card over and over, as they probably realized they would still get a frequent reward with minimal mental effort,” lead researcher Dr Carrie Ijichi of Nottingham Trent University, UK, said in a statement. “There was no cost for indiscriminate hitting, sometimes it paid off, sometimes it didn’t. When we introduced a cost for their errors, however, they could instantly understand and play the game properly.”“This suggests that the horses knew all along what the rules of the game were,” added study co-author Louise Evans.Now, those well-versed in the weird and wonderful history of horse behavior may have just been reminded of Clever Hans, the horse that was purported to be able to do mathematics (but was revealed to simply be observing the responses of those around him, responding accordingly to get a little treat). However, the study authors note that “though it is never possible to rule out a Clever Hans effect when a human is present, such unintended cues would have been present in sessions one to three, where subjects did not demonstrate that they understood the task.”The study involved 20 horses aged between 11 and 22 years old at Nottingham Trent University Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre. They were conditioned to associate a whistle with being given a tasty handful of Ulsakind cubes, and were then tasked with tapping an A3 laminated card with their nose or muzzle, with a whistle and a treat accompanying a correct touch response.Then, a “stop” signal was thrown into the mix, consisting of an LED cyclist’s torch strapped to the trainer’s upper abdomen. When the light was on and the horse tapped the card, a 10-second time-out period began, where the trainer stepped back, looked down, and lowered the target, removing the opportunity to earn a snack. The duration of the stop signal was randomized to ensure “it was the light itself that signalled the No-Go contingency and not predictable intervals.”The researchers wrote that “though some individuals reduced their errors from session three to four more than others, all but one individual reduced errors in response to the introduction of the cost suggesting a remarkably prevalent ability within the group to do so.”“We were expecting horses’ performance to improve when we introduced the time-out, but were surprised by how immediate and significant the improvement was,” Evans explained. “Animals usually need several repetitions of a task to gradually acquire new knowledge, whereas our horses immediately improved when we introduced a cost for errors.”“Horses are not natural geniuses, they are thought of as mediocre, but this study shows they’re not average and are in fact more cognitively advanced than we give them credit for. We now think that horses may be able to use a form of learning called ‘model-based learning’ which was thought to be too complex for them. This will now help us to understand their behaviour and capabilities much better,” Ijichi said. “It’s fascinating because they have a very underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex which is what we typically credit with producing that type of thinking in humans.”“This means they must be using another area of the brain to achieve a similar result and this teaches us that we shouldn’t make assumptions about animal intelligence or sentience based on whether they are ‘built’ just like us.”The study is published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

A potentially life-threatening pathogen has just welcomed a new family member, as researchers have identified another distinct group of Candida auris. The discovery brings the number of known clades of the fungus – an emerging multidrug-resistant superbug – to six.C. auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and is often resistant to antifungal medications. Although healthy people typically don’t get sick, it spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities and can be dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. The yeast can cause a range of conditions from superficial (skin) infections to more severe, life-threatening illnesses, such as bloodstream infections. Because of its multi-drug resistance, it can be difficult – sometimes impossible – to treat. Infections are still relatively rare – however, cases have risen drastically in recent years, and as such the pathogen “poses a serious threat to global public health due to its worldwide distribution, multidrug resistance, high transmissibility, propensity to cause outbreaks, and high mortality,” the authors write.Previously, five geographically distinct clades – or groups – of the fungus had been described: one in South Asia, another in East Asia, and others in Africa, South America, and Iran.The latest clade to join the fold was discovered in April 2023, when doctors from the Singapore General Hospital identified a patient carrying an unusual strain of C. auris as part of a routine screening program. Usually, these cases originate from people who have recently traveled, but this patient had not left the country for two years, which rang some alarm bells.After analyzing the strain’s genetics, the researchers found that it didn’t match any of the five existing clades of the fungus, and so must represent a novel, sixth clade. They then tested strains taken from past patients and found two more isolates of this group of C. auris in Singapore and another in Bangladesh.It is as yet unclear how widespread the new clade is or whether it has the potential to cause invasive infections and outbreaks. Nonetheless, the researchers write, “it is imperative to ensure its early detection and containment for the purpose of patient safety.”"The implications of this discovery extend far beyond the laboratory. Now that we have discovered the sixth Candida auris clade, there is a pressing need to improve surveillance capability or develop new methods to augment current surveillance strategies so that health care facilities can keep a close watch on its emergence and contain the spread once found," Dr Karrie Ko, co-first author of the study, said in a statement.Fortunately, the cases described in the study were still susceptible to all tested antifungals, which should help abate fears of a Last Of Us-style pandemic – but it’s clear the threat of C. auris isn’t going anywhere, hence more needs to be done to identify new strains, track their transmission, and contain any adverse clinical effects.The study is published in The Lancet Microbe.

The discovery of two skeletons at the doomed ancient site of Pompeii has enabled researchers to reconstruct the panicked final moments of those who perished during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Identified as a young man and a middle-aged woman, the cursed pair appear to have become trapped in a room in which they sought shelter, before being obliterated by a fast-moving current of scorching volcanic gasses. Alongside the female corpse, archaeologists discovered a hoard of valuable items including precious earrings and a collection of coins, suggesting the woman may have made a dash for her prized possessions in the hope of rescuing them from the impending disaster. In the end, she only succeeded in taking her material wealth with her to the afterlife.The duo were discovered during excavations of a Pompeii city block known as Regio IX and met their end in a room designated "Area 33". The woman, who was between 35 and 45 years of age, was found lying on a bed in the fetal position, while the young male – thought to be no older than 20 – ended up in a crumpled heap beneath a collapsed wall.Because the room was not invaded with pumice, the researchers suspect that the pair may have entered in search of refuge from the rain of lava that battered Pompeii’s open spaces in the aftermath of the eruption. However, as the adjacent room filled with pumice, the two individuals ultimately became trapped.The two bodies as they were found in Area 33.Image credit: Parco Archeologico di PompeiThe presence of a few centimeters of ash on the floor suggests that they probably died as a result of a pyroclastic flow, which is a rapid current of hot gas and volcanic matter. Describing the scene in a new study, the researchers suggest that this deadly torrent probably caused the collapse of the wall, resulting in the death of the young man.As for the older woman, the study authors believe she probably lived for a short while longer and may have laid down on the bed in resignation as she waited for death. Exactly how much longer she lasted is unclear, but you can be pretty sure her drawn-out final moments were not pleasant.Around the woman’s body, archaeologists discovered a set of iron keys, which may have been associated with a chest located nearby. She was also in possession of a collection of gold, silver, and bronze coins, as well as gold and pearl earrings.The woman was found with a pile of coins and other treasures.Image credit: Parco Archeologico di PompeiAccording to the authors, the earrings were of the "crotalia" (meaning "rattle") style, named for the noise produced by the pearls clanging into one another. Among the woman’s other jewels was a pendant in the form of an amulet that may have been intended to bring protection during childbirth.Based on this discovery, the researchers suspect that the woman intended to escape with her treasures, but tragically failed to get out of Area 33.To reconstruct the space itself, the authors poured plaster into the hollows left in the ash, resulting in casts of some of the wooden furniture that once graced the room. In doing so, they were able to identify the ghostly footprints of a bed, an overturned stool, and a wooden table with a marble top.The study is published in the E-Journal of the Excavations of Pompeii.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) made his Sunday show debut as the Republican vice presidential nominee this weekend, venturing onto hostile liberal news networks to field questions about his candidacy and blast both Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Although Vance's interviews on CNN and ABC were punctuated by numerous spirited moments and damning allegations, three in particular stood out.Harris as 'chameleon' Last month, President Donald Trump stated that Harris "was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn black, and now she wants to be known as black. So I don't know, is she Indian or is she black?" With Trump's critique in mind, CNN's Dana Bash pressed Vance Sunday for his views on Harris' apparently fluid identity, asking flatly whether he believed she was in fact black. Vance seized on the opportunity to reinforce the fundamentals of his running mate's critique. "I believe that Kamala Harris is whatever she says she is," responded Vance. "But I believe importantly that President Trump is right that she is a chameleon. She pretends to be one thing in front of one audience. She pretends to be something different in front of an another audience." Harris was recently ridiculed for adopting different accents depending on the crowd she was addressing. The Telegraph highlighted that when speaking to a crowd in Georgia, she affected a Southern accent, but then in Michigan, she tried speaking in an entirely different style. Vance told Bash further, "[Harris] only speaks to voters behind a teleprompter. Everything is scripted. She doesn't have her policy positions out there." "I think that's what President Trump is getting at. This is a fundamentally fake person," continued Vance. "She's different depending on who she's in front of." Vance added in a subsequent X post, "Kamala Harris isn't running a presidential campaign. She's producing a movie. Everything is scripted everywhere she goes." Ownership of failure Although Harris has replaced President Joe Biden in the race for president, Vance suggested she has effectively been in the driver's seat from the start and that the current administration's various failures are hers to defend. 'Kamala Harris clearly owns the policies of the Biden-Harris administration.' "I think it's pretty straight forward," Vance told Bash. "We're running against a set of policies that I think have failed the American people, and we're running to a set of policies President Trump's four years in office that I think really succeeded for the American people." Vance claimed that whereas Trump "delivered lower prices, lower inflation, a prosperous and peaceful world, and also a secure border," Kamala Harris' "policies have produced the exact opposite." "Now that was an easier case to make when Joe Biden was in there because people associate Joe Biden with the policies, but I think Kamala Harris clearly owns the policies of the Biden-Harris administration," said Vance. In his interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl, Vance emphasized Harris' culpability over the border crisis, noting, "We have to start with the fact that we have a wide-open southern border because our border czar actually set a lot of open-border policies." Between October 2023 and June 2024, nearly two million illegal aliens stole across the southern border under Harris' watch. In fiscal year 2023, 2.4 million crossed the border. In the previous two fiscal years, over 2.3 million and 1.7 million stole into the homeland, respectively. Not only have gangs exploited the Harris administration's open-border policies, but illegal aliens have raped and murdered American citizens; siphoned billions of dollars in federal welfare benefits; and tracked in diseases once thought eradicated or controlled. Democrats and their allies in the liberal media have attempted to rewrite history in an effort to rehabilitate Harris' public image, downplaying or denying her fingerprints on the current administration's border initiatives. Axios, for instance, characterized Harris in 2021 as Biden's "border czar" but tried to walk back the title last month after the California Democrat replaced Biden in the race. Karl attempted to join in the effort Sunday, but Vance was having none of it. "[Border czar] is what the media called her. She assumed the title. She had control over a lot of our border policy, at a time when they were suspending deportations," said Vance. "They stopped Donald Trump's Remain in Mexico policy and they re-instituted catch and release. They basically threw open the gates of our country, and now we have a ton of fentanyl, a ton of people suffering." Stolen valor allegations The question of Walz's seemingly ever-changing military record came up in Vance's CNN interview, particularly the Minnesotan's false claim that he carried "weapons of war ... in war." "This is a guy who was captured on video saying, 'I carried a gun in war.' He never went to war," said Vance. "This is a guy who has been captured on video as other people say, 'He is an Afghanistan veteran, he is a veteran of a war,' nodding along in agreement instead of saying, 'No, no, no. I did serve my country, and I did it honorably, but I never went to a war zone.'" Bash asked Vance whether he would accept the Harris campaign's recent suggestion that Walz had simply "misspoke." "He 'misspoke'? Another word is that he 'lied' about it, and he didn't correct the record for 15 years until he was put under political pressure because I called it out," responded Vance. "Whatever you want to call it — a 'misspeaking' or a 'lie' — I think that Tim Walz should have to correct the record." Vance is far from the only former service member to blast Walz over how he has presented his record. A former battalion commander of Walz's National Guard unit recently blasted the Democratic governor in a Facebook post. John Kolb, who became lieutenant colonel of the Minnesota unit after Walz threw in the towel, alleged Walz "broke his enlistment contract," failed to "complete the Sergeants Major Academy," and did "not successfully complete any assignment as a Sergeant Major," reported the New York Post. Kolb noted there was a silver lining to Walz's retirement: "He got out of the way for better leadership." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!