Over the last several months‚ the most distant human-made object has been in trouble: Voyager 1 was still in communication with Earth‚ but scientists were receiving nothing but binary gibberish. The situation looked extremely serious – so serious that might have spelled the end of the decade-long mission. But thanks to hard work‚ the team has now been able to understand the issue on-board and even find a fix.For the first time since November 14‚ Voyager 1 is transmitting science and engineering data that can be understood. At the center of the problem is the Flight Data System (FDS)‚ one of the probe’s onboard computers. This device packages all the data – from the onboard system or from the science systems – before transmitting them to Earth.In March‚ the team sent a poke to the spacecraft and got back another weird message. But that time‚ it contained everything in the FDS memory‚ all of its code as well as science and engineering data. From that‚ they were able to understand the problem and find a solution: There is a single faulty chip that stores a portion of the FDS memory and some of its code.We can’t simply repair a chip on a spacecraft that is 24 billion kilometers (15 billion miles) from Earth. So the team had to migrate the affected code elsewhere‚ and adjust the code so that the system would function and not end up using the damaged portion. Given its distance‚ it takes a long time to get anything to the probe and back. Voyager 1 is 22.5 light-hours away. They sent the first fix on April 18‚ and on April 20 got a reply – and it looks like it worked. They had a clear readout.This is extremely good news after months of challenging work and uncertainty. The team is at work to complete the full restructure of the FDS software. Once that is completed‚ Voyager 1 will once again restart its scientific mission collecting data from interstellar space.Voyager 1 and its twin spacecraft Voyager 2 are the only two human-made objects to cross the heliopause‚ the region where the solar wind and the interstellar wind are in equilibrium. For years now‚ they have been traveling in interstellar space sending data back to Earth. And hopefully‚ they will continue to do so for a long time.NASA’s planned budget for the coming years shows commitment to keeping the Voyager mission going well past its 50th anniversary in 2027.

An island made of gemstones may sound like the daydream of a rum-addled pirate‚ but if you sail around the Red Sea you might be lucky enough to find Zabargad Island. The small island is formed of a barren surface brimming in peridotite‚ a rock that's laced with beautiful peridot gemstones. Zabargad Island is located around 50 kilometers (31 miles) off the coast of southern Egypt in an area of the Red Sea called Foul Bay. Measuring just 4.5 square kilometers (1.74 square miles) in size‚ it’s the largest of the islands found in this cove – and undoubtedly the strangest.Zabargad also has a reputation for being a “desert island”. It holds very little fresh water and hosts almost no life‚ except for some breeding seabirds and the odd osprey. What it lacks in biodiversity‚ however‚ it makes up for in geology and history.Throughout ancient times‚ peridot was harvested from the island and used in the jewelry of the kings who ruled over the Mediterranean's ancient kingdoms. Some of the earliest evidence of mining on Zabargad can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians over 3‚500 years ago.  It's not hard to see why carved peridot was sought after in ancient times.Image credit: Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History (Public Domain)The ancient Greeks called the island “Topazios&;quot; as they believed it was a source of topaz gemstones. However‚ scientists have since identified the rocky substance of the island's surface as peridotite‚ a coarse-grained igneous rock that's rich in olivine and pyroxene. Within the peridotite rock‚ collections of gem-quality olivine can form‚ appearing as a vibrant green gemstone known as peridot.The rock was forged in the bowels of our planet over 150 kilometers (93 miles) below the surface in Earth's upper mantle. Buried in the scorching hot mantle and subject to extreme pressure‚ peridotite was once viscous magma that has since chilled‚ solidified‚ and been brought to the surface. It popped up on Earth’s surface due to a deep geological rupture that occurred tens of millions of years ago‚ most likely around the Early Cretaceous. Clashing tectonic plates resulted in part of the mantle rising to the crust‚ forming a freak island made largely of peridotite. Peridotite comes in a few different forms‚ such as the rocky dunite (left) and large olivine crystals (right).Image credit: -/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)The island still sits on top of a hub of tectonic activity as it’s located near the Red Sea Rift‚ a mid-ocean ridge that marks the crossroads between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate. The bottom of the ridge also intersects with the East African Rift Valley‚ a colossally important feature in Earth’s ever-shifting puzzle pieces.Given how important Zabargad was to the ancient world‚ it’s remarkable that it’s relatively unknown in the modern world. Mining for peridotite continued on the island into the early 20th century‚ but it almost entirely ceased since the Egyptian government nationalized the country’s mines in 1958. Today‚ the biggest producer of peridotite is Norway – Egypt doesn’t even appear in the top 10.

Sometimes the differences between related species are just as impressive as the animals themselves. Take the bats‚ for instance. From the truly enormous hammerhead bat that slurps up fruits‚ to bats found doing the deed without penetration‚ the world's only flying mammals have enormous species breadth. In the rainforest of Honduras‚ for example‚ you’ll find a teeny tiny collection of Honduran white bats building their own tent. Where does the Honduran white bat live&;#63;The Honduran white bat has the scientific name Ectophylla alba and is listed by the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened. They have an average length of just 3.7 to 4.7 centimeters (1.5-1.9 inches) and weigh only around 6 grams (0.2 ounces) according to the Rainforest Alliance. They are found only in Central America in Honduras‚ Costa Rica‚ Nicaragua‚ and Panama.                                The Honduran white bat is a part of the family Phyllostomidae that contains 17 species‚ eight of which exclusively roost in tents made of leaves. To make a tent‚ the bats find suitable leaves – belonging to plants in the genus Heliconia – to alter‚ so they overhang to create the perfect home for a family of white fluffy bats to hang out and hide from predators. The bats roost in groups of two to 15 individuals‚ usually a mother and offspring as well as unrelated adults. They nibble the edges of the leaves so that they fall perfectly. The sunlight through the living leaves of these plants makes the bats appear green‚ further camouflaging them against predators. What does the Honduran white bat eat&;#63;As might be expected from their name‚ these tiny bats are fluffy and white – but they are not albinos. Instead‚ they have bright orange-yellow faces‚ legs‚ and wings. They are picky eaters and consume pretty much only figs from the Ficus colubrinae species. The fig peel contains a yellow carotenoid pigment called lutein‚ which is likely responsible for the yellow color‚ suggests Bat Conservation International. A diet of pretty much only figs gives these bats their distinct color.Image credit: Rob Jansen/Shutterstock.comA study from 2019 showed that males with better body condition had brighter yellow noses‚ suggesting that there is sexual dichromatism within this bat species. Unfortunately‚ given their very specialist diet and roost preferences‚ conservationists are worried that the species will suffer from habitat loss more acutely if their food and shelter sources are affected. 

Breathtaking prehistoric paintings have been discovered on the walls of caves across Europe‚ Africa and Australasia‚ yet the meanings and functions of these Stone-Age masterpieces remain a topic of fierce debate. Recently‚ a team of researchers proposed that some of the most iconic examples of rupestral art are in fact lunar calendars‚ marked out by the world’s earliest known writing system‚ although a new study has challenged these remarkable claims.Put forward in January 2023‚ the hypothesis focuses on European rock art from the Upper Paleolithic‚ most of which was created between 45‚000 and 12‚000 years ago. Noting that these designs typically feature animals accompanied by abstract marks like dots or vertical lines‚ the first team of researchers proposed that these symbols represent days or months in the lunar calendar.To back up this claim‚ they pointed out that the total number of notations never exceeds 13‚ which is the number of lunar months in a year. They therefore suggest that these sequences mark out the annual cycles of certain prey species‚ with a ‘Y’ shape denoting the month in which a specific animal typically gives birth.However‚ according to the authors of the new critique‚ there are in fact several examples of sequences of lines and dots that exceed 13‚ thus undermining the entire concept of the cave art lunar calendar. They go on to say that these cases were deliberately excluded from the original analysis so as to not wreck the whole idea.Pouring further skepticism on the theory‚ the authors point out that all of the species present in these paintings give birth in the first or second month of spring‚ and that ancient hunter-gatherers would hardly have needed to devise an artistic or semantic system just to keep track of this. “Why would Palaeolithic people need a calendar to record or predict the mundane fact that all their major herbivores give birth one or two months after the snow melts&;#63;” they ask rhetorically.Noting these substantial holes in the theory‚ the researchers strongly argue against the conclusion drawn by the earlier study - namely that the &;quot;Y&;quot; symbol present in many ancient paintings functioned as the earliest known written word. Specifically‚ the proponents of the hypothesis had stated that the letter represented a noun and carried the meaning &;quot;to give birth&;quot;.Compiling a lengthy list of arguments‚ the authors conclude that there is no solid evidence to suggest that these prehistoric artworks document lunar calendars or archaic writing systems. Seeking out alternative possibilities in ethnographic studies of more recent rock art‚ they suggest that abstract symbols like dots are more likely to represent such elements as “bees‚ seeds‚ stars‚ raindrops‚ huts‚ fires‚ tracks or blood.”The study is published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal.

If there are alien civilizations out there close enough to pick up our stray signals‚ there's a non-zero chance that amongst the first transmissions‚ they could receive the opening of the 1936 Olympic Games‚ meaning our first contact with another species (in the unlikely event that they picked them up) could include a speech by Adolf Hitler.&;quot;This wasn't the first broadcast‚ of course‚&;quot; senior SETI astronomer Seth Shostak explained to RealClearScience. &;quot;But it was at a high frequency that might make it through the ionosphere.&;quot;In the film Contact‚ this ended up being the first message humanity received from an alien civilization. The beings sent the signal right back at Earth‚ not realizing the impact sending broadcasts of Adolf Hitler from space would have on the species they were attempting to initiate contact with. It's a bit like if you said hello to a passing stranger‚ and in response they accidentally regurgitated a chapter of Mein Kampf. Thankfully‚ we likely won't have to go through this scenario‚ with signal strengths too weak to be detected by alien civilizations.&;quot;It would have been very low power‚ and with a non-directional antenna‚&;quot; Shostak continued. &;quot;The idea that aliens might pick it up is pretty far-fetched.&;quot;But‚ of course‚ we could end up receiving far more terrifying first transmissions‚ as people have been discussing over on X (Twitter) and Reddit.          IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.At the moment‚ likely due to a recent TV series that will not be named‚ people mainly seem to be focusing on hearing warnings from other civilizations.              IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.According to some solutions to the Fermi Paradox – or the question of &;quot;where is everybody&;#63;&;quot; – the answer is that advanced civilizations are deliberately hiding themselves‚ out of fear of their own destruction. Another fear is of an ambiguous message; that aliens will give us few details‚ other than that they are on their way.        IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.While not enough information is considered terrifying‚ people also appear to worry about alien civilizations that are overfamiliar with Earth.     IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.There is one theory – known as the Zoo Hypothesis – along these lines. It proposes that aliens are aware of us but keep us isolated in a &;quot;zoo&;quot; to let us evolve and progress‚ just as humanity sets aside land as nature reserves and does not contact uncontacted tribes. According to this hypothesis‚ we could then be contacted when we have achieved sufficient technological and societal maturity‚ perhaps welcomed into a galactic community.Despite the fear that contacting an alien civilization will likely involve (even if they are friendly‚ humans have a pretty solid track record of fearing the unknown)‚ there may be one idea that is scarier. IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Perhaps (though we'd bet against it) there are no aliens at all‚ and Earth contains all sentient life.

NASA’s STEREO A spacecraft has spotted a powerful eruption on the Sun ripping the tail off comet Pons-Brooks‚ although it quickly regrew. This is far from the first time STEREO A has spotted the Sun toying with a dirty snowball like this‚ but the images are particularly dramatic.Comet tails are wispy things caused when the solar wind pushes the gas and dust released by subliming ice away from the comet’s head. It doesn’t take a lot to disrupt them; you sometimes see comets with two tails‚ one of gas and one of dust‚ pointing in somewhat different directions with the gas tail particularly sensitive to conditions.When solar flares lift coronal mass ejections (CMEs) off the surface of the Sun‚ the particles expelled can affect comet’s tails‚ and the STEREO spacecraft‚ which track solar storms‚ have often picked this up. See‚ for example‚ this case in 2013 when two comets could be seen in the same field of view‚ one of them waggling its tail like a tadpole or a frozen but particularly determined sperm.A 2013 coronal mass ejection that succeeded in influencing two comets at once‚ as seen by STEREO.Image credit: Karl Battams/NASA/STEREO/CIOCThe STEREO spacecraft don’t just watch comet tails for fun. As the their website notes‚ “Using comet tails as tracers can provide valuable data about solar wind conditions near the Sun.”As their name suggests‚ the STEREO spacecraft were designed to provide twin views of solar activity‚ one with an orbit a few weeks shorter than the Earth‚ the other a little longer. The usually long baseline between them gave NASA unprecedented insight into solar activity for a decade but contact was lost with STEREO B in 2016‚ and even once recovered attempts to restore it failed.STEREO A has kept plugging along‚ even if the acronym is now inaccurate. Its full name is Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory A‚ and it has continued to help astronomers understand how the Sun’s variability affects the Earth. As these images show‚ it does the same for other components of the Solar System.On April 12‚ STEREO A spotted a major CME lift off the Sun. This event was headed almost directly opposite to the Earth‚ so did not trigger any auroras here‚ although another one around the same time lit up skies over Tasmania. A week later‚ however‚ Spaceweather.com noticed the effect the event had had on Comet Pons-Brooks. In astronomical speak this was a “disconnection event” where the extra strength in the solar wind caused the tail to break away from the nucleus of the comet and go sailing off like Rohan’s flag in The Two Towers.         The effect was so strong in part because the CME was so powerful‚ but also because Pons-Brooks was 120 million kilometers (75 million miles) from the Sun‚ 80 percent of the Earth’s distance. Although from STEREO A’s perspective the comet looks like it is almost touching Jupiter‚ the giant planet was almost a billion kilometers (620 million miles) further away‚ and would have been barely affected.Pons-Brooks hasn’t really been living up to its nickname recently. It got the “Devil’s Comet” tag because on its way in it exploded several times (as it has done on previous visits) and some of these produced what looked like devil’s horns. Sadly‚ the explosions stopped just when they would have done the most to allow more people to see the comet. It’s particularly unfortunate none coincided with this CME – imagine an eruption sweeping away something so much brighter and more intricate.The good news is that‚ while comets are often compared to cats‚ when it comes to their tails they are more like skinks‚ which can lose their appendages and grow them back. 

When would you say “old age” begins&;#63; It’s possible that the closer you think you are to that threshold‚ the later you’ll put it‚ but people’s general perceptions of old age have been changing over time. New research finds that nowadays‚ we think of old age starting later than we used to – but that trend may not continue forever.Scientists from Germany‚ the USA‚ and Luxembourg took data from over 14‚000 people who participated in a decades-long study called the German Ageing Survey. The participants were born between 1911 and 1974‚ covering several generations‚ and they each provided up to eight responses during a 25-year period‚ when they were aged between 40 and 100.One of the main questions‚ and the subject of the new paper‚ was “At what age would you describe someone as old&;#63;”When they were asked this question at the age of 65‚ people born in 1911 said that old age begins‚ on average‚ at the age of 71. When the question was repeated to people born in 1956 once they also hit 65 years old‚ they instead put the threshold three years later‚ at 74.In a statement‚ first author Markus Wettstein gave some suggestions as to why this might be: “Life expectancy has increased‚ which might contribute to a later perceived onset of old age. Also‚ some aspects of health have improved over time‚ so that people of a certain age who were regarded as old in the past may no longer be considered old nowadays.”The same trend was observed at the individual level too. On average‚ as each participant aged by four or five years themselves‚ their estimate for the onset of old age increased by a year.Women put the threshold for old age about two years later than men on average. There were some other factors that were found to impact someone’s individual estimate too – for example‚ people in poorer health‚ who were lonelier‚ or who “felt” older generally believed old age begins earlier.“It is unclear to what extent the trend towards postponing old age reflects a trend towards more positive views on older people and aging‚ or rather the opposite – perhaps the onset of old age is postponed because people consider being old to be an undesirable state‚” Wettstein said.What’s also clear is that this trend towards postponement may not continue indefinitely. In recent years‚ it has slowed down.The study has some limitations‚ in that the cohort of participants were all from one country‚ Germany‚ and it’s likely that non-European cultures may view aging in different ways. The researchers say future studies should seek to address this‚ as well as examining whether the trend towards postponing the perception of the onset of old age is continuing to decelerate. Humans are living longer than ever. Reaching your centenary is set to become much more common‚ so much so that people are beginning to ask whether there is a limit to human life. With some going to extreme lengths in the quest for longevity‚ it’s interesting to keep an eye on how society views old age‚ and how those views might be evolving.The study is published in the journal Psychology and Aging.

In the heart of Louisiana‚ the St Landry Parish courthouse stands as a testament to history and now‚ to the unexplainable. Parish President Jessie Bellard has come forward with claims that recent renovations have reawakened otherworldly occurrences within its venerable walls. The courthouse‚ a repository of local lore and legal legacies‚ has long been whispered to harbor spectral happenings. Yet‚ it is only with the commencement of refurbishments that these murmurs have manifested into tangible events‚ witnessed by the very eyes of Bellard himself. “It’s been a lot of activity over here‚ but the recent few days‚ I’m seeing myself‚” said Bellard. Describing an uptick in peculiar incidents‚ Bellard recounts how modern machinery springs to life unbidden‚ and the echo of a judge’s gavel resonates through empty chambers. These episodes are not random; they appear to be intrinsically linked to the spaces mid-transformation or next in line for an update. A particularly perplexing event unfolded last week when a deluge inexplicably inundated room 206‚ situated two stories above Bellard’s office. The flood‚ which spared no corner of the clerk of courts’ domain‚ defied all logical explanations. Expert plumbers‚ armed with diagnostic cameras‚ scoured the plumbing only to find no fault‚ no flaw that could account for the anomaly. The plot thickened as it was revealed that the inundation’s epicenter overlapped with the historical placement of the jail’s latrines. Despite thorough investigations‚ Bellard and his team stand before an unexplained situation‚ devoid of answers but brimming with anticipation for what secrets may yet unfold. “Last week we had a flood up on 206‚ which is two floors above me now‚ and it flooded that room‚ the clerk of courts offices from one end to the other‚” said Bellard. “No rhyme or reason of why it did it. We’ve got plumbers over here to come look at it‚ and they ran cameras through all the lines and nothing. There’s nothing that can happen.” “Nothing that made any sense. It later turned out that the flooding coincided with the original location of the jail toilets. “We don’t have an explanation yet as to why it did what it did‚” said Bellard. “There’s nothing. So‚ we’re hoping to find out more‚ you know‚ but we haven’t.” As the courthouse continues its transformation‚ one can’t help but ponder if the walls themselves are resisting the march of time‚ or perhaps‚ reminding us that some aspects of history refuse to be renovated away. The post Unexplained events occurred at Old Louisiana Courthouse‚ Parish president says appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Editor’s Note (4/23/24): This article has been edited to include Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) exclusive comments to MRC Free Speech America regarding House Republicans’ legislation protecting Americans from potential communist Chinese influence. A Republican senator spoke against Chinese influence on a major social media platform. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hailed House Republicans for passing a provision seeking to force TikTok’s infamous parent company‚ ByteDance‚ to divest its social media platform ownership. “Everyone appears to be very concerned about what the Chinese Communist government is doing with TikTok‚” Cruz told MRC Free Speech America in exclusive comments on Monday evening. “I support what the House accomplished when it comes to TikTok‚ which is forcing China to divest TikTok and I think if and when that bill comes to the Senate‚ I expect that the Senate will agree‚” the Texas senator added. Speaking on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures on Sunday‚ hosted by Maria Bartiromo‚ Cruz had called the bill “very important” and “a major step forward” to protect Americans from Chinese propaganda and potential espionage. “I have deep‚ deep concerns about TikTok‚ controlled by the Chinese communist government‚” Cruz told Bartiromo‚ voicing his support for the TikTok ultimatum bill.  The Texas senator accused the Chinese communist government of exploiting TikTok for the “surveillance and espionage of American citizens.”  Expanding on his concerns‚ Cruz added: “They use it right now‚ aggressively‚ to push propaganda‚ anti-America propaganda‚ to our young people.” Flashback&;#33; WATCH: Sen. Ted Cruz Blasts TikTok as Communist Chinese Gov’t ‘Espionage’ Tool Cruz’s comments came a day after the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a massive $95 billion foreign aid package. The package includes a provision that gives the president the authority to compel ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok or else face a ban in the United States. The bill is set to be passed by the Senate on Tuesday. President Joe Biden is also expected to sign the bill into law. The bill gives ByteDance 270 days to sell its ownership. “This bill is a major step forward in that it forces China to divest of TikTok‚” Cruz added‚ echoing the sentiments of the Media Research Center‚ which came in support of the initial TikTok bill in March. You May Also Like: ‘Consistent from the Start’: Bozell Says TikTok Must Divest from Communist Chinese Gov’t “It is absolutely correct and necessary for TikTok to divest itself of any control from the communist Chinese government in China if it wants to do business in the United States‚” said MRC President and Founder Brent Bozell in a video statement.  “I support this bill. I support reining in TikTok. I support stopping the communist Chinese from influencing the United States subversively‚” Bozell added.  In response to the ultimatum‚ TikTok has deployed a multi-million dollar marketing campaign in a failed attempt to persuade lawmakers against backing the legislation.  Related: TikTok’s Last-Ditch Effort Amid US Ban: Recruiting Nuns‚ Veterans and Ranchers Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

MSNBC’s Joy Reid pulled out the head in the sand strategy for Monday’s edition of The ReidOut when discussing anti-Semitism being prevalent at Columbia University. During an interview with Rev. Mark Thompson and Maryam Alwan of Columbia’s chapter of Students for Justine in Palestine‚ Reid claimed she simply “didn’t hear it.” Addressing Thompson‚ Reid claimed that things at Columbia are fine‚ “I saw‚ Mark‚ these students singing and singing about peace and singing salaam‚ singing words of peace. So‚ it just didn't square with what I was even hearing on television and television commentators saying was shrieking anti-Semitism‚ I didn't hear it.”     Perhaps Reid wasn’t looking because a rabbi has advised Jewish students to avoid campus and return home. As for Thompson‚ whose MSNBC chyron labels him as a “social justice activist‚” he also wanted to act as if the majority of demonstrators are simply peace activists‚ “No‚ I was there yesterday‚ and it was very peaceful and very moving. The-- one of the institutions affiliated with Columbia‚ of course‚ is Union Theological Seminary and the Union students held a Sunday worship service and served communion there on campus‚ even to those beyond the gates who couldn't get in. So‚ this betrays the imagery of there being violent rhetoric spewed.” Thompson conceded that “I do have a colleague whose daughter is a freshman at Barnard and she has faced some harassment‚ but as Maryam said‚ these are outliers and in the movement‚ we’ve always had –” Reid interrupted to add‚ “It happened at Black Lives Matter rallies‚” as Thompson continued‚ “So‚ that’s—but‚ in general‚ it’s not a good idea to generalize what is going on. These are peaceful and non-violent demonstrations.” Meanwhile‚ Reid generalizes about people all the time. Almost every show is the same: conservatives are racists‚ sexists‚ religious weirdos‚ and Trump cultists. She does not get to claim that those who want Hamas to survive to possibly commit another October 7 get to disassociate themselves with Hamas supporters who hold signs reading “Al-Qasam's Next Targets” while pointing to Jewish counter-protestors or over 100 professors who want to “recontextualize” October 7 and frame it as a “military response.” Turning her attention to Alwan‚ Reid wondered‚ “What do you make of leaders of your school seeming‚ I guess‚ to appease maybe members of Congress that have been all over your president and want her to resign‚ calling the NYPD on you all&;#63;” Naturally‚ Alwan decided to portray herself as the victim‚ “It feels like it's been a McCarthyite campaign to try to equate our peaceful protest‚ calling them to divest from violence‚ and they are calling us violent instead. It was horrifying to be carried out in zip ties when we were just‚ you know‚ peacefully calling for an end to the violence.” Reid‚ claimed she didn’t see any anti-Semitism at Columbia‚ yet by referencing BDS‚ Alwan proved it was right there at her desk. Here is a transcript for the April 22 show: MSNBC The ReidOut 4/22/2024 7:50 PM ET JOY REID: I saw‚ Mark‚ these students singing and singing about peace and singing salaam‚ singing words of peace. So‚ it just didn't square with what I was even hearing on television and television commentators saying was shrieking anti-Semitism‚ I didn't hear it. MARK THOMPSON: No‚ I was there yesterday‚ and it was very peaceful and very moving. The-- one of the institutions affiliated with Columbia‚ of course‚ is Union Theological Seminary and the Union students held a Sunday worship service and served communion there on campus‚ even to those beyond the gates who couldn't get in. So‚ this betrays the imagery of there being violent rhetoric spewed. I will say this‚ I do have a colleague whose daughter is a freshman at Barnard and she has faced some harassment‚ but as Maryam said‚ these are outliers and in the movement‚ we’ve always had – REID: It happened at Black Lives Matter rallies. THOMPSON: You’ve got provocateurs.  REID: Yeah. THOMPSON: So‚ that’s—but‚ in general‚ it’s not a good idea to generalize what is going on. These are peaceful and non-violent demonstrations. REID: Let me‚ what do you make of leaders of your school seeming‚ I guess‚ to appease maybe members of Congress that have been all over your president and want her to resign‚ calling the NYPD on you all&;#63; MARYAM ALWAN: It feels like it's been a McCarthyite campaign to try to equate our peaceful protest‚ calling them to divest from violence‚ and they are calling us violent instead. It was horrifying to be carried out in zip ties when we were just‚ you know‚ peacefully calling for an end to the violence.