Klerksdorp spheres‚ found inside pyrophyllite deposits mined in South Africa‚ are weird. Looking like tiny ancient cricket balls‚ with seam-like lines around their middle‚ it's easy to see why they became the subject of conspiracy theories involving aliens and ancient‚ forgotten civilizations.In articles in the 1980s‚ they were speculated to be made by "a higher civilisation‚ a pre-flood civilisation about which we know virtually nothing"‚ while the same museum curator who said this claimed that the spheres rotated of their own accord while locked in a "vibration-free" display case.Pseudo-scientists claimed that the spheres could only be manufactured‚ despite being found in 3-billion-year-old rock‚ while even pseudo-er scientists believed them to be  proof of aliens.The claims about the spheres caught the attention of geologist Bruce Cairncross in 2006‚ who wrote that he had been amused by an article that described them as "mystery spheres"‚ and by one program's choice to have a psychic examine the stones‚ declaring them to be the remains of an ancient spaceship.Cairncross offered up a rational explanation for the spheres‚ found in a geological formation known as the Dominion Group. The feature is made of conglomerate‚ with layers of volcanic lava that were deposited on top. After a lot of pressure and heat‚ the layers of volcanic rock became pyrophyllite‚ the casing in which the Klerksdorp spheres were found.The spheres are known as concretions: spherical‚ elliptical‚ or oblate objects made of different minerals to the host rock‚ and are fairly common‚ with thousands having been found around the world. They are often found in fine-grained rocks‚ like pyrophyllite‚ as it allows for the movement of water."They form by precipitation from an aqueous solution and consist of minerals crystallized in the host rock‚" Cairncross explained.The spheres are spherical (or slightly off-spherical) as they form around a tiny grain of mineral in a solution containing iron‚ calcium‚ and other elements."Because the host rock is evenly textured all round the growth of the concretion takes place‚ unrestricted in all directions‚ as a 360-degree‚ three-dimensional sphere‚" Cairncross writes‚ adding that if the liquid is moving or the rock surrounding it is not the same consistency in all directions‚ the shape can become distorted.The lines across the spheres are caused by imprints from the host rock‚ which was built up in layers over a long‚ long time‚ leaving the layered effect.Meanwhile‚ the mystery of why the sphere supposedly spun "on its own" was explained by the curator of the Klerksdorp Museum‚ after which the spheres are named."Some years ago I put the ball back to its original position (on a glass shelf) during a journalist's visit and he tried to make a sensation of it‚" Mr R Marx explained. "It is quite natural that it will rotate a bit as it is round and we have many earth tremors due to (gold) mining activities."An earlier version of this article was published in March 2023.

Beneath your feet in the depths of our planet‚ there’s an unbelievably vast ecosystem teeming with life. In recent years‚ a massive international team of scientists revealed how billions upon billions of microorganisms live miles beneath Earth’s subsurface.Presenting their work at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in 2018‚ the researchers calculated the size of this mysterious treasure trove of life for the first time – and it was way bigger than they expected.They reported that approximately 70 percent of the total number of microbes on the planet live underground. In total‚ these microbes represent around 15 to 23 billion tonnes of carbon – hundreds of times greater than the carbon mass of all humans on the surface.Scientists have barely scratched the surface when it comes to describing these microorganisms. However‚ first glances suggest that the genetic diversity of life below the surface might be comparable to‚ or perhaps even exceed‚ life above the surface. This is why nicknamed the ecosystem the "subterranean Galapagos.”However‚ don’t expect any giant tortoises down there. Bacteria and their evolutionary cousins – archaea – seem to dominate beneath the surface‚ although the researchers also noted a fair number of eukarya down there too. For example‚ researchers described an unidentified nematode over 1.4 kilometers (0.8 miles) deep in a South African gold mine. "Ten years ago‚ we had sampled only a few sites – the kinds of places we'd expect to find life‚" Karen Lloyd‚ study author and Associate Professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee‚ said in a statement in 2018.“Now‚ thanks to ultra-deep sampling‚ we know we can find them pretty much everywhere‚ albeit the sampling has obviously reached only an infinitesimally tiny part of the deep biosphere‚" added Professor Lloyd.To reach the findings‚ the team brought together dozens of studies that looked at samples brought up from drilling between 2.5 and 5 kilometers (1.55 to 3.1 miles) into the Earth’s crust‚ both in the seafloor and the inland continents. Also‚ to their surprise‚ they discovered that the subsurface deep biosphere is almost twice the volume of all oceans.Subjected to intense heat‚ crushing pressures‚ no light‚ and scarcely any nutrients‚ this is hardly where you would expect to find a diverse bank of life. Nevertheless‚ the researchers said that this ecosystem could answer many questions about the limits of life on Earth – and beyond."Our studies of deep biosphere microbes have produced much new knowledge‚ but also a realization and far greater appreciation of how much we have yet to learn about subsurface life‚" added Rick Colwell‚ microbial ecologist at Oregon State University."For example‚ scientists do not yet know all the ways in which deep subsurface life affects surface life and vice versa. And‚ for now‚ we can only marvel at the nature of the metabolisms that allow life to survive under the extremely impoverished and forbidding conditions for life in deep Earth."An earlier version of this article was published in December 2018.

The Kansas City Chiefs' victory parade in the team's Missouri hometown ended in bloodshed Wednesday afternoon. Gunshots rang out west of Union station just as the festivities were winding down‚ causing panic and confusion. A pair of heroic dads managed to subdue one alleged gunman‚ but only after 22 people were wounded and a beloved mother of two was slain. It was initially unclear what prompted the monstrous attack‚ although some suspected terrorism might have been to blame. Police have since revealed that a personal "dispute" between multiple thugs‚ not terrorism‚ was to blame. Two teenagers are presently in custody. Police may yet make more arrests‚ as they suspect others may have been involved in the shooting. The shooting According to the Kansas City Missouri Police Department‚ shots were first fired around 2 p.m. Wednesday‚ west of Union Station‚ where a stage had been erected for speeches by Kansas City Chiefs players. Nearly 1 million people were estimated to have been in the downtown area at the time to celebrate the Chiefs' Super Bowl win. The shooting caused panic‚ prompting some fans to take cover and others to run to safety. KCMPD Chief Stacey Graves confirmed Thursday that at least 22 people were wounded in the shooting‚ in addition to Elizabeth Galvan‚ a 43-year-old radio disc jockey and a mother of two‚ who was fatally shot. The ages of the victims ranged from 8 to 47‚ and at least half of the wounded were under the age of 16. Blaze News previously detailed how two fathers who had taken their kids to the parade spotted an individual believed to be a shooter and subdued him. Graves celebrated the effort by bystanders to take action in the face of evil‚ reported the New York Times. "They helped one another and even physically stopped a person who was believed to be involved in the incident‚" said Graves. "Your selfless act did not go unnoticed." A 'dispute' Graves indicated in a Thursday update that "preliminary investigative findings have shown there was no nexus to terrorism or homegrown violent extremism." "This appeared to be a dispute between several people that ended in gunfire‚" said the police chief. Jacob Gooch Sr.‚ a survivor of the shooting‚ told "CBS Mornings" that just moments prior to the shooting‚ he overheard an "altercation" punctuated by a girl pleading‚ "Don't do it. Not here. This is stupid." "My daughter said that some lady was holding him back‚ and people started backing up‚ and he pulled it out and starting shooting and spinning in a circle‚" said Gooch. Gooch indicated he took a bullet to the foot; his wife was shot in her calf; and his son was struck in the foot. His daughter‚ fortunately‚ was left unscathed. When pressed on whether he saw anything out of the ordinary prior to the shooting‚ Gooch noted he had been "suspicious of a certain group of people that were there. We were standing ... on the left side of the stage when the shooting ended up happening‚ and right before it ended up happening‚ there was this group dressed in all black‚ about four‚ five‚ six kids — looked like kids — with black on‚ black masks‚ and they disappeared into the crowd." Graves noted that two juveniles are in police custody. While charges have yet to be filed‚ Graves indicated the department has only 24 hours to do so; otherwise it will have to cut the teens loose. The chief also noted that investigators are looking into whether others were involved in the shooting. "It should be noted that we have recovered several firearms‚" said Graves. The Democrat-run city has long had an issue with violence‚ particularly gang- and youth-related violence. Last month‚ another shooting occurred inside a popular shopping mall in downtown Kansas City‚ leaving six people wounded. The Star reported that what apparently triggered the shooting was a disturbance between two groups of "youths." According to the Kansas City Star‚ the city set a record last years for homicides with at least 185 slayings. Over 240 were slain across the metro area. The previous year‚ there were 171 homicides. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Bobulinski met with Joe‚ James‚ and Hunter Biden in Los Angeles in 2017 to discus a joint venture with CEFC.

They are clearly taking what will inevitably be the next domain of warfare seriously. So should we.

LOL! What the Actual EFF?! Think Fani Willis Is a Hot Mess? You Ain't Seen NOTHIN' Yet (Check Her Dress)

Journo Tries Saving Face for Ignoring Biden's Mental Acuity by Calling It Irrelevant‚ is PROMPTLY Roasted

Journalist Matt Taibbi Reveals Unexpected Messages From Elon Musk

The latest rumor for the iPhone SE 4 seems to contradict the possibility of Apple's entry iPhone getting Dynamic Island‚ as the company is now rumored to focus on an early 2025 release with the same panels as the iPhone 14. According to The Elec‚ Samsung Display‚ BOE‚ and Tianma‚ they proposed prices to Apple for their OLED panels aimed at the iPhone SE 4. Since Cupertino only used LCD panels for this iPhone‚ the biggest change will come with a new display technology‚ in addition to a new form factor. Sources familiar with the matter told the publication that the unit price of the OLED panels was lower than what Apple pays for the iPhone 15 panels. The reason is that the iPhone SE 4 will use recycled parts and legacy techs. Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR That said‚ it's expected that this iPhone will feature a 6.1-inch display with the same technology used for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 models. Without Samsung and other manufacturers having to make additional investments into research and development‚ prices can be lower‚ although Apple is still negotiating. In addition‚ The Elec says Samsung might use its existing iPhone 14 OLED inventory to respond to demand from iPhone SE 4‚ as it could give the company an advantage over other manufacturers. The South Korean firm also focuses on the more profitable panels for the iPhone 15 and the upcoming iPhone 16 series later this year. iPhone 14-like design for iPhone SE 4 makes complete sense Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR While a recent report said Apple might add a Dynamic Island to the iPhone SE 4‚ I think it's unlikely to happen. First and foremost‚ it would make this iPhone too similar to the current lineup – and Apple usually uses the previous generation design. Another thing that intrigues me is the possible processor‚ as it's likely that Apple will use the A16 Bionic. However‚ it might adopt a similar strategy to the current SE with a chip with fewer cores. One primary camera will likely remain‚ and Apple might improve its 5G capabilities‚ although we're not expecting a custom 5G modem. Finally‚ early 2025 feels like a great goal to introduce this device‚ especially because we'll have the third generation with Dynamic Island‚ making a more significant distinction between newer and older iPhone designs. BGR will keep following the latest rumors about this device‚ and we'll let you know if we discover anything new. Don't Miss: Apple’s major iPhone SE 4 redesign might not launch until 2025 The post iPhone SE 4 reportedly getting OLED display and a 2025 launch appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals This $16 clip-on lens kit fits the iPhone or any Android phone‚ and it’s awesome Amazon deal offers a 7-inch Android tablet for under $43 Save 61% on a 6-port USB rapid charger on Amazon Save 75% on a Canon black and white multifunction laser printer on Amazon

The early medieval nation of Kievan Rus’ emerged from the early Viking forays into the lands of the Eastern Slavic tribes. Read moreSection: NewsHistoryFamous PeopleRead Later