Nashville School Shooter's Writings Leak: 'I Hate Everything About My Gender'

This week on Break It Down, Charlotte the stingray is back and it’s not good news, a zig-zagging snake stretching over 40 meters might be the world’s longest rock art, the irony of offering endangered orangutans as a form of diplomatic gift, the mysterious aurora STEVE gets a long-lost twin, why Seahenge was built, and how the iconic “March of Progress” evolution image is actually all wrong. Available on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Podbean, Amazon Music, and more.Sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down… LinksStingrayParthenogenesisSnake rock artOrangutan diplomacySTEVE’s twinSeahengeMarch of ProgressClaude the koalaDinosaur discovery

The European Space Agency has begun an intriguing experiment on the International Space Station (ISS), one that set a record and might shape manufacturing and sustainability in orbit. For the first time, a metal object has been 3D printed in space.The Metal 3D Printer was sent to the ISS back in January but the experiment only started in more recent days. Installed by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen back then, the device is controlled on Earth. And the first test was to print a little "S".“This S-curve is a test line, successfully concluding the commissioning of our Metal 3D Printer,” ESA technical officer Rob Postema said in a statement.     “The success of this first print, along with other reference lines, leaves us ready to print full parts in the near future. We’ve reached this point thanks to the hard efforts of the industrial team led by Airbus Defence and Space SAS, the CADMOS User Support Centre in France, from which print operations are overseen from the ground, as well as our own ESA team.”A stainless steel wire is fed to a printing area, similar to how plastic wire is fed in a regular 3D printer.  But melting plastic is much easier. Here, a laser one million times more powerful than a laser pointer melts the tip, allowing for structures to be created in the printer. The printer is sealed while working so no fumes get out and into the space station.     Four objects have been selected to be printed following this test, although ESA has not discussed details yet. They will be brought back to Earth and tested against exact copies printed under gravity. Researchers are interested in seeing if there are differences between the two.Printing metal tools in space could be great for multiple reasons. It means that they do not have to be brought from Earth, but simply constructed when the need arises. And it could be more sustainable, as ESA hopes to create a circular economy in space where nothing gets thrown out and everything is recycled. This is an exciting development, one that starts with a little S-curve.  

Our solar system is an incredible place, filled with celestial bodies with exciting and intriguing names. For instance, there’s the planet Venus, named after the Roman goddess of love, or Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, which is named after the king of this ancient pantheon. And then there is Earth, our planet, which it has to be admitted, has a less impressive name. But why is this the case? How did we end up naming our home, the only planet most of us will ever experience, after another word for a clod of dirt?The answer is “it’s complicated”, but it reveals much about how people have thought about the planet or their “world” (which are not necessarily the same things), as well as its relationship to other celestial objects in the night sky.Obviously, not everyone refers to the planet as “Earth”. It is a name that is mostly associated with Western cultures, especially those that speak English.  The name “Earth” has quite a complex etymology. Unlike the names of the other planets in our solar system, the name clearly does not derive from Roman mythology. Instead, the word comes from the Germanic word “erda”, and the Old Anglo-Saxon word “ertha”, meaning something like “the ground that you walk on”.The Anglo-Saxons were a Germanic cultural group that invaded and occupied England and Wales after the fall of the Roman Empire (around 450 CE).As with so many stories of conquest and settlement, aspects of the invader’s culture and language mutated and shifted over time. This eventually led to the emergence of Old English in the mid-7th century, the earliest recorded form of the English spoken language. From Old English, we get the word “eorþe” (pronounced er-thuh), which basically means “soil”, “ground”, “country”, or “land”.Other Northern European languages have similar words for the planet. For instance, Old Frisian had “erthe”, while the modern German language has the word “Erde”, and the Dutch have "Aarde". It is likely all these words, ours included, derive from a Proto-Germanic term that has now been lost to history.For the various cultures mentioned here, their respective word for “Earth” had a deeper meaning than just referring to the floor. As with many contemporary societies, the people were intimately tied to the soil for their very survival. It was the place they inhabited and the place where life and much of their food emerged from. It sustained them and, in many cases, would eventually hold them when they died.But it was also the place of material things, our “world”, as opposed to the otherworldly lands like the underworld or the heavens where the gods lived. Although in many mythologies these supernatural spaces were sometimes connected to the realm of humans, they were nevertheless “separated” from us. We see similar ideas to this in the Old English word "middangeard" which, like the Norse Midgard, referred to the inhabited world and could be used with "eorþe".In cultures touched by Latin traditions, the word “terra” is often used to refer to the planet. Once again, “terra” means land and forms the root of modern English words like “terrestrial”, “subterranean”, or “extraterrestrial”.The word "terra" comes from the Romans, from whom we also get the names of the other planets in our solar system. They named these celestial spheres after their gods due to how they appeared to the naked eye, long before telescopes were invented.And this is an important point. For centuries, dating back to the Babylonians and maybe further, our planet, the thing we walk upon, was not understood as a “planet” like the others, which may explain why it has such a “mundane” name.It was only with the rejection of geocentrism and the acceptance of heliocentrism in the 16th and 17th centuries that the Earth was recognized as another planet, rather than the center of the universe, around which everything else revolved.  Although it is not completely clear, it seems that while our understanding of the “world” expanded at this time, the word we used to refer to the thing we live on did not change. We remained tied to the soil just as we always had been. 

Just in time for vacation season, an airport worker has revealed why passengers should avoid tying ribbons to their suitcases if they’re checking in luggage before a flight.Many people attach colorful ribbons around the handle of their suitcase so it's easy to spot when they’re picking up their luggage from the carousel upon arrival. Little do they know, it’s a significant reason why luggage gets lost in airports. This is because identifying tags are typically attached to the luggage’s handle and bows can easily get in the way of the scanner.“Ribbons that people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall. If the bag can’t be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight,” a baggage handler at Dublin Airport told Irish magazine RSVP Live.As another word of advice, they added that you should always remove old stickers and tags from the bag because this can also confuse the scanning process.This might seem obvious to seasoned travelers, but the baggage handler also had some more niche advice for those with a sweet tooth: don’t ever pack marzipan in your luggage. So the theory goes, it has a very similar density to some explosives and has been known to set off alarm bells at airport security.If you're looking for other insights into the weird world of airports, have you ever wondered why you rarely see pilots with beards or why cabin crew never seem to drink hot drinks? Fear not, we've got you covered.  

When astronomer Jerry Ehman noticed something unusual in the printout from Ohio State University’s radio telescope, his response became the most famous moment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. In recent years several explanations for what became known as the "Wow! signal” have been published. However, since these contradict each other, it is fair to say the question is unsettled. The Wow! Signal In ContextFrom the invention of the radio telescope in 1932 some people hoped we might capture alien signals, but almost all the telescopes’ times were devoted to exploring the most intriguing natural objects. The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) started seeking radio signals from aliens in 1960, but initial efforts were brief and haphazard. The instruments at the time were not only limited to small areas of the sky, but narrow parts of the radio band. The frequency 1420 MHz was thought to be a likely one on which aliens might operate if they were trying to attract attention, as it is one of those naturally emitted by hydrogen. So when Ohio State University allocated its dish, nicknamed “Big Ear” to the hunt, bands around this frequency were chosen.Compared to modern radio telescopes Big Ear could only collect tiny amounts of data, and prior to the Wow! signal nothing had picked up nothing remotely as interesting.It’s also important to understand, before getting to the detection itself, that the word “signal” can create a lot of confusion in this context. To many non-scientists “signal” sounds deliberate, implying a message, whether alien or human. However, to a scientist, a signal is anything that is not random noise – radio emissions from a neutron star or even Jupiter represent definite signals, but are certainly natural.Big Ear was not suited to moving around the sky to chase specific targets. Instead, it pointed at a particular spot relative to Earth and let the planet’s rotation adjust. Allowing for the width of the sky Big Ear could capture, each spot was recorded for 72 seconds. If there had been an alien civilization trying to attract our attention from a distant location, Big Ear would have detected an increasingly powerful signal for 36 seconds, followed by a gradual decline to silence.Of course, there could be plenty of natural sources that would produce something similar. What Was Special About the Wow! Signal?When Big Ear was operating, anything the telescope detected was printed out on line paper. Volunteer Jerry Ehman noticed a signal lasting 72 seconds collected on August 15, 1977 and represented as 6EQUJ5. Ehman circled these characters and wrote “Wow!” next to them in red pen.Some people have misunderstood the signal as Big Ear receiving those letters from space, which would warrant more than a “wow”, but this is not correct. Instead, the symbols referred to the ratio between the signal strength in a 10 second period and the baseline noise averaged over the previous few minutes. Anything equal or lower than the baseline was represented by a blank space. Intensity up to nine times the background was indicated with numbers, while higher intensities were represented in letters.Consequently, the characters Ehman circled meant 10 seconds of 6-7 times background, followed by 10 seconds at 14-15 times background. The presence of the U indicates that at peak the telescope was picking up something at 30-31 times stronger than the background, but tells us nothing at all about what it is.The Wow! signal combined with map of the area of the sky it came from (left) and a graph of the signal strength shown by the characters printed.Image Credit: toneynetone/CC BY 2.0/ Big Ear Radio Observatory and North American AstroPhysical Observatory (NAAPO)One of the expected features of alien signals is that they will be quite narrowband. Broadcasting over a lot of frequencies wastes energy, and if you want to communicate it makes sense to keep things tight and clear.Big Ear only had a resolution of 10 kHz (modern SETI telescopes have resolution thousands of times tighter), so while we know the Wow! signal was not wider than that, we can’t tell how much narrower it was. Ten kHz is narrower than the bulk of astronomical signals, but it’s not unknown for natural sources to be this narrowband.The frequency at which the signal was detected was slightly higher than the hydrogen line. This could indicate the source was something other than hydrogen, or that it was a hydrogen emission blue-shifted by travelling towards Earth at about 10 kilometers per second (22,000 mph) Although fast in earthy terms, this is slower than incoming meteors, for example.What Explanations Have Been Proposed For The Wow! Signal?By the time Ehman detected the signal and reported it, the Earth had rotated several times and Big Ear was not looking anywhere near the area of the sky. Indeed, owing to an oddity of Big Ear’s operation, there are two possible source locations, 3 degrees apart in Sagittarius. Attempts to scour the region, including one focusing on the most promising star in the area, have produced nothing. No signal like this has been detected since, despite the enormous increase in radio telescope operations.The fact a comet was in the same region of the sky at the time has been offered as one possible explanation. However, the idea was quickly refuted, on the basis that it was not nearly close enough to the exact source of Wow!, and also covered far too much of the sky.The most boring explanation is that the signal was terrestrial, perhaps reflected off space junk. After all, that is almost certainly the cause of the two subsequent signals that created some excitement, detected in 2015 and from Proxima Centauri in 2020.There were far fewer satellites in 1977 than there are today, but the identification of what was known as the “Weird! Signal” in 2017 as coming from a geostationary satellite may also be relevant.Atmospheric distortion of something more common has also been proposed, but no clear candidate has been identified. All in all, the chances that we picked up signs of an extraterrestrial civilization so early in humanity’s search, and then found nothing since, are considered low. Yet the quest to find a natural explanation, or some form of human interference, has struck out so far.Naturally, conspiracy theorists are convinced the Wow! signal was aliens, and that Big Telescope is hiding the truth. Yet the whole story counteracts their core perception of the world. The signal was revealed without any attempt at secrecy, and anyone is welcome to search the relevant part of the sky in whatever way they want, with no danger of men in black knocking at their door.

The heartwarming video beautifully captures the special bond that has blossomed between Bella and Brian, her pony. From the moment Bella was born, Brian has been her steadfast companion, always by her side. Their relationship has grown stronger over the years, becoming a touching proof of the unique connection between humans and animals. This video... The post Adorable pony can’t contain emotion when he meets baby sister for very first time appeared first on Animal Channel.

Congratulations to the beautiful, poised and very feminine winner of Miss Maryland, Mr. Bailey Anne Kennedy. The Miss Maryland USA competition took place last week and crowned none other than a transgender woman - so a biological man - as Miss Maryland. Men have infiltrated women’s sports and taken spots and awards away from them. And now, unfortunately more than once, men are taking spots away from women in beauty pageants, too. “Bailey Anne is the newly crowned Miss Maryland USA 2024,” Miss Maryland USA wrote on its Instagram page. Kennedy, 31, markets himself as a “Proud Military Wife.” It looks like, according to his Instagram, he married his husband, in 2019. Though it doesn’t seem that either spouse considers their marriage to be the gay marriage that it is. Reports indicate that Kennedy works with the U.S. Military’s United Service Organizations (USO), which works to boost troop morale. Kennedy’s Instagram is flooded with his involvement and work with the USO, but that’s not all Kennedy is an advocate for.   MAN crowed Miss Maryland USA. Transgender male Bailey Anne has beaten dozens of women to win the prestigious women’s pageant title. Upon winning the title Anne declared: “Not everyone has to agree with the spaces that you occupy, and it doesn’t mean that you aren’t worthy… pic.twitter.com/lu25ySJL4S — Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 6, 2024 During an interview with DC News Now on Wednesday, Kennedy noted that when he won the pageant it was a “whirlwind because I knew it was bigger than me. I knew that it was going to mean a lot for all the LGBTQ kids out there who might feel like they don’t belong in a box — like me growing up.” Kennedy also added that he “hopes that it will open up some doors, open up some hearts for people to see that there are many aspects of LGBT community out there and I hope I can be a positive contribution to society in making a difference like the USO program like I’m working with.” Kennedy will now move on to the Miss USA pageant that is scheduled for August 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. One of the issues with this win, other than the fact that it’s completely outrageous and unfair for the actual women competing, is that previous Maryland pageant winners have had significant interaction with young children in past years.  Last year, Miss Maryland USA posed with some children at the 2nd Annual Kids Crushing Cancer event and similarly, Miss Maryland of the Miss America franchise spoke to middle schoolers at a private school for children with learning challenges in D.C., The Federalist pointed out.  The Federalist also noted that Kennedy will be in “close proximity to many children and especially young girls as a Miss Maryland USA pageant winner” and emphasized that this is “another example of how queer politics makes the public square toxic by exposing children as young as preschoolers to sex.” Sadly, this isn’t the first time a man has won a women’s beauty pageant. And honestly, given the current trajectory of our culture, I don’t see it being the last. In April, Caia Souza, a 26-year-old man, won Miss Valley Isle USA pageant in Hawaii. Marina Machete, a 28-year-old man, won Miss Portugal in October. In July of 2023, Rikkie Valerie Kolle, a 22-year-old man, won Miss Netherlands. This is outrageous and is insulting to real women. Someone go take the crowns off those dudes' delusional heads.

A cancer organization said that it recognized readers could be offended by the term cervix and explained that the term "front hole" would be more inclusive to men who believe they are women.The Canadian Cancer Society, Canada's most recognizable cancer charity, listed a series of unscientific recommendations on a page about cancer screenings.The organization asked: "As a trans man or non-binary person assigned female at birth, do I need to get screened for cervical cancer?"What followed was a series of wild assertions that could confuse any well-meaning reader.'We use words like 'cervix' ... to normalize the reality that men can have these body parts too.'Unironically placed as a footnote under the heading "Words matter," the cancer organization seemed to be backtracking from the idea that a cervix should be referred to as a cervix."We recognize that many trans men and non-binary people may have mixed feelings about or feel distanced from words like 'cervix.' You may prefer other words, such as 'front hole,'" the organization shockingly wrote.The cancer society then claimed that men can also have a cervix and said it uses the word in an attempt to reiterate that fact. "We recognize the limitations of the words we've used while also acknowledging the need for simplicity. Another reason we use words like 'cervix' is to normalize the reality that men can have these body parts too."A representative through the website's live chat function, however, was far more clear about the idea of men having female body parts and still categorized gender as being "assigned at birth.""If you are a trans woman or non-binary person assigned male at birth, you do not have a cervix," a person named Trish stated. "Because you do not have a cervix, you are not at risk for cervical cancer and do not need cervical cancer screening. The Canadian Cancer Society encourages everyone in Canada to take control of their health by seeing a healthcare provider regularly, discussing their personal risk for cancer and asking what tests for early detection are right for them."The website further suggested that health care providers should "affirm your gender and perform any tests in a way that reduces your discomfort and any feelings of gender dysphoria you may have as much as possible."The Canadian Cancer Society joins the ranks of cervical cancer charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust from the United Kingdom, which deemed the vagina as a "bonus hole" in 2023 in an effort to not upset men who believe they are women.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

There was a point in time when nearly half the population was willing to accept the core claim of transgenderism: that an individual's sex and gender could differ. Title IX was transmogrified to enshrine this claim and virtually every federal agency and every major corporation ritually reiterate acceptance. However, it appears the masses are now beginning to walk back their support. The Pew Research Center released a report Thursday indicating that 65% of American adults surveyed in April said that an individual's gender is biologically determined. Ninety percent of Trump supporters and 39% of Biden supporters answered that gender is biologically determined. Among Biden supporters, this was also the answer given by 64% of black people, 46% of Hispanics, 32% of whites, and 27% of Asians. 'The share of voters who say that sex at birth determines whether someone is a man or a woman has increased since 2017.' The rejection of social constructivists' core premise by two-thirds of registered voters represents a continuation of a multi-year trend. "The share of voters who say that sex at birth determines whether someone is a man or a woman has increased since 2017, and this increase has occurred within both parties," said the report. Pew indicated that in September 2017, 53% of registered voters said gender corresponds with biological sex. Forty-five percent alternatively said sex and gender can be distinct. In 2021, the percentage of Americans affirming that gender was determined by sex increased to 56%. The number rose another four percentage points in 2022. Between 2017 and 2024, belief that gender and sex could be distinct slipped among Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents by 9 percentage points. During the same time period, there was a 12-point drop in belief among those in the Republican or Republican-leaning camp, from 20% to 8%. The majority of American voters, 56%, are also now apparently uncomfortable when it comes to the description of individuals using plural pronouns — "they" or "them" as opposed to "he" or "she." While 66% of Biden supporters — including 69% of white, 68% of Hispanic, and 72% of Asian backers — don't mind referring to men or women as genderless pluralities, once again, black supporters are not with the program. Fifty-five percent of black Biden supporters expressed discomfort using "they/them" pronouns. The supermajority of Trump supporters evidently would prefer to refer to people as they are, especially those 50 or older. There have been other indications in recent months and years that support for the LGBT agenda has been waning. The Public Religion Research Institute interviewed over 22,000 American adults last year for its so-called American Values Atlas and found that support for homosexual "marriage" dropped by 2 percentage points; support for nondiscrimination protections dropped by 4 points; and opposition to Americans refusing services based on their deeply held religious convictions dropped 5 points. Melissa Deckman, CEO of the institute, told PBS News that the decline was "largely driven by party polarization." Deckman also attempted to associate the decline with so-called "Christian nationalism." Blaze News previously noted that Canada has also witnessed a decline. A recent Ipsos survey indicated there were "precipitous drops" in support for so-called LGBT rights. Support for overt displays of sexual preferences and so-called gender identity dropped by 12% since 2021. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!