Did Elon Musk approve this? U.S. company sending cannabis and coffee to space aboard a SpaceX mission – The GrowthOp

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When were finally forced to abandon the planet, at least well be bringing hemp and coffee with us.

Agriculture biotech company Front Range Biosciences will be sending the first plant cultures of the two products into space aboard a SpaceX mission that will leave the planet for the International Space Station in March, according to Vice.

This is the first time anyone is researching the effects of microgravity and spaceflight on hemp and coffee cell cultures, said Jonathan Vaught, co-founder and CEO of Front Range Biosciences. There is science to support the theory that plants in space experience mutations. This is an opportunity to see whether those mutations hold up once brought back to earth and if there are new commercial applications.

The company which has partnered on the endeavour with the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a startup called Space Cells plans to send almost 500 cultures into the vast unknown to see if exposure to the hostile environment can have useful applications back home.

Theres no danger of astronauts having a little too much fun with the experiments, hemp contains minuscule amounts of the high-inducing THC found in cannabis, but the plant is extremely versatile for use in the production of products such as paper, clothes and textiles. It also contains CBD, a cannabinoid that has shown the potential to provide relief from stress, anxiety and other medical issues common on and off planet Earth.

They will, if nothing else, provide useful info into how these crops can be made more resilient in hostile environments.

This is just the beginning, according to Louis Stodieck, director of BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In the future, we plan for the crew to harvest and preserve the plants at different points in their grow-cycle, so we can analyze which metabolic pathways are turned on and turned off, he said in a statement. This is a fascinating area of study that has considerable potential.

There is no word yet if Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and person most likely to be high when the rocket takes off, has weighed in on the experiment. Musk was famously chastised after lighting up a joint last year while being interviewed on The Joe Rogan Experience. Its fair to say the experience proved negative as the companys shares started dropping before the smoke cleared the room, prompting an expensive, invasive safety review of the company by NASA. Musk later warned employees of the dangers of using cannabis at work.

Unless, of course, youre in space.

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Did Elon Musk approve this? U.S. company sending cannabis and coffee to space aboard a SpaceX mission - The GrowthOp

Fuel Cells to Lower Harmful Emissions on the High Seas – Advanced Science News

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Cruise ships are currently under criticism as these large, floating cities require several tons of heavy oil each day. Heavy oil contains 3500 times more sulfur than is permitted on Europes roads and CO2 and NOx emissions as well as fine dust pollution produced by this fuel source are also devastating to human health and the environment. Passenger numbers continue to rise for many cruise ship companies, and a long-term solution is needed to curb the detrimental effects of this form of transportation.

Meyer Werft, based in Papenburg, Germany, was founded in 1795 and is one of the first cruise ship companies to test fuel cells as an alternative source of energy on board its ships. The company has made strides by making the AIDAnova the first cruise ship in the world to operate completely with low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG). Now, their project is now entering its next phase with the aim to investigate and develop a decentralized energy network and a hybrid energy system with a new generation of fuel cells for use on passenger ships.

The fuel cell is powered by hydrogen, which is formed from methanol, which can be generated in the long term with regenerative energies. According to the team, these new fuel cells offer the opportunity to lower emissions even more than is currently possible with LNG, and operate with low emissions, low noise, and low vibration. The cells also display high durability, where initial tests have shown a service life of more than 35,000 operating hours.

In addition to the development of the fuel cells, the entire energy systems and its decentralized integration on board will also be investigated. The development of all energy grids and energy management as well as ecological and economic analyses are also part of the project, said Gerhard Untiedt, Head of Energy and Environment Group at Meyer Werft Research & Development. The current project phase will run until the end of 2021.

After intensive tests on land, the fuel cells are to be tested for the first time in real operation onboard AIDAnova beginning in 2021.

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Fuel Cells to Lower Harmful Emissions on the High Seas - Advanced Science News

Wind Development In The High Seas Could Unlock Offshore Potential But Ownership Laws Need To Be Defined – Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

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The offshore wind industry is making great strides in developing technology that means projects can be built further from shore, including technological innovations in floating foundations and hydrogen storage. However, a new report by Chatham Partners, a boutique law firm specialising in renewable energy, indicates that if such technology were to allow the construction of wind farms in the high seas, the current legal framework would not have the scope to cover such development.

The high seas are all regions of the sea that sit outside the control of a single nation. They make up 50% of the surface area of the planet, and cover over two thirds of the oceans. However, the lack of clear rules covering development in the high seas will be a challenge for using any of these areas for offshore wind. According to the report, Offshore Wind in High Seas: Unlimited potential beyond national control?, the industry should call for discussions to form a robust legal framework now, or risk missing the opportunities the high seas could offer in decades to come.

Global efforts towards decarbonisation have proven offshore wind to be a viable alternative power source to fossil fuels. However, the sector could still face challenges in developing close to shore due to countries desire to protect coastal ecosystems, and conflicts with local industries and the military or simply inactivity. These would not be obstacles in most of the high seas.

While offshore wind at high seas clearly has barriers to overcome, it could drastically increase capacity by adding almost 70% more construction space to consider. However, if offshore wind were to look to the high seas for development, the lack of a legal framework will become a major obstacle.

In particular, uncertainty around right of use, ownership and jurisdiction of the high seas presents a significant challenge. Building close to shore in an Exclusive Economic Zone means that the relevant state has the remit to govern and authorise installation and operations of a wind farm under their national laws; but no such jurisdiction or governing body exists for the high seas. As such, offshore wind on the high seas would be too great a risk for any company to invest in.

Chatham Partners notes that precedents for international cooperation in order to take advantage of valuable resources already exist in the scope of current legislation. For example, fishing is regulated in the high seas by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) acts as a governing body to authorise public and private organisations to extract minerals from the deep seabed outside their states jurisdiction. In addition, a treaty for biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction is currently proposed that may introduce so-called area-based management tools as well as various forms of governance concepts that could include or serve as an example for a framework concerning offshore wind.

However, these precedents provide an example for the offshore wind industry of how many years a legal framework can take to be built. The ISA took more than 20 years of negotiation between member states to formally establish. The treaty concerning biodiversity has been negotiated since 2004 and will likely stay a draft for several years to come.

Felix Fischer, Partner at Chatham Partners, states: Currently, offshore wind developers are only able to consider a third of the available sea when planning new sites. The high seas could have the potential to further unlock the expansion of offshore wind beyond what can be developed along coastlines if the industry deems it feasible from an economic and technical perspective. However, the technology to allow development in these areas could outpace the legislation.

Without a legal framework, these sites will remain out of reach for developers for decades to come. If the high seas should become part of the answer to expanding offshore wind development and contribute to global decarbonisation, building a viable legal framework is critical.Source: Chatham Partners

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Wind Development In The High Seas Could Unlock Offshore Potential But Ownership Laws Need To Be Defined - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Europe is sending a robot to clean up space. Why is the junk there in the first place? – WDJT

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(CNN) -- A self-destructing robot will be sent into orbit on the world's first space cleanup mission, European scientists announced Monday, a fresh approach to fixing up the galaxy's junk graveyard.

Our orbit is filled with garbage, including chunks of dead satellites, discarded rockets, and paint flecks that have fallen off them. The mission, named ClearSpace-1, will take the first step in tidying up this extraterrestrial wasteland, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

A four-armed robot, developed by Swiss startup ClearSpace, will latch onto debris before diving back down to Earth, where both machine and junk will "burn up in the atmosphere," according to the ESA.

The robot's mission will target a cone-shaped part of an ESA rocket that was left in space in 2013. If all goes well, follow-up missions will target larger objects, before eventually trying to remove multiple pieces of junk at once.

"This is the right time for such a mission," said ClearSpace founder Luc Piguet in an ESA press release. "The space debris issue is more pressing than ever before. Today we have nearly 2,000 live satellites in space and more than 3,000 failed ones."

Work on the project will begin in early 2020, and go through a series of tests at low orbit before an official launch in 2025.

Our orbit looks like a graveyard of space rubbish. Ever since the space age began in 1957 with the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 satellite, there has been more junk than working satellites in space, according to ESA.

ESA estimates there are about 170 million pieces of space debris orbiting the Earth. Apart from dead satellites, there are also spent rocket boosters and bits of machinery scattered by accidental collisions.

And they are not just floating around peacefully some pieces are moving faster than a bullet. Because they move so fast, even the tiniest piece of cosmic junk poses an enormous threat to other satellites and spacecraft.

"Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if all the ships ever lost in history were still drifting on top of the water," said ESA Director General Jan Woerner in the press release. "That is the current situation in orbit, and it cannot be allowed to continue."

These collisions are dangerous for manned space flights, but could also impact our daily lives we rely on satellites for essential information like weather forecasts, communications and GPS.

These pieces of debris can take centuries to leave our orbit if they leave at all. The problem is already so severe that it is self-perpetuating; even if we were to stop all space launches immediately, the amount of junk would continue to grow because existing pieces of debris often collide and break into smaller pieces, ESA said.

For years, NASA, ESA, and other space agencies have been studying debris removal technologies. Some of the ideas proposed include using nets to gather junk, harpoons to spear and retrieve objects, and robotic arms.

For a long time, we simply didn't have the technology to address the issue but recent years have seen progress. For example, Japanese scientists are now developing a type of satellite that uses magnets to catch and destroy debris. Just last year, an experimental device designed in the UK successfully cast a net around a dummy satellite, a promising step forward.

Another obstacle is figuring out how to fund these projects. The UK device cost 15 million euros ($17 million) and that's cheap for space travel. The ESA ClearSpace mission has a budget of about 100 million euros ($111 million).

Cleanup is just one part of the solution prevention is another. Independent companies like SpaceX are starting to design their satellites to intentionally plunge back toward Earth at the end of their lives instead of drifting in orbit.

But so far, it's been mostly up to space organizations to self police and invest in being good patrons of the galaxy. There are no existing formal international rules to hold satellite operators accountable for debris creation or general carelessness in space.

-- Jackie Wattles and Dave Gilbert contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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Europe is sending a robot to clean up space. Why is the junk there in the first place? - WDJT

Everything You Should Know About ‘High Seas’ Season 3 On Netflix. – The Digital Wise

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Over a short period of time, High Seas have become quickly Netflixs best Spanish period dramas. Alta Mar, as it is known in Spain or otherwise High Seas by others, released last month in November and if you have finished it, I know you are probably wondering when season 3 is due out on Netflix.

Spanish content on Netflix has been taking the top positions as of late with titles like Elite and Money Heist have taken the whole wide world with a storm but High Seas is certainly one of the best among all. This show is set up on a cruise liner, the murder and mystery series sees the ship headed for Rio De Janeiro. Season two of this show was released on Netflix on November 22.

We saw at the conclusion of season 2 that the ship arrived in Rio De Janeiro with few of the secrets coming into fruition over the past few seasons. Well, it is yet not clear if the third season will happen on the boat or not.

If you have watched season 2 of this show, you must be knowing how much of a paranormal course was opted by the plot and thus it will be very interesting to see where the story will sail next.

Guys, guys! Time for some good news. Elespanols Bluper section has disclosed that this series has not only to be renewed for a third season but also for a fourth season is in line for development too!

The Spanish site was reportedly told by Bambu Productions behind the series that production on the next set of episodes in November with another 16 episodes. These episodes are split equally into 8 episodes per season.

As the filming for season 3 has just started in the previous month of November, it can be suggested that this series will drop a new installment maybe next year in November 2020. It is also agreed by La Prensa that the show will renew itself towards the latter end of 2020.

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Everything You Should Know About 'High Seas' Season 3 On Netflix. - The Digital Wise

The race to lay claim on the Bering Strait as Arctic ice retreats – The Guardian

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I could not keep my eyes off the graves, could not stop staring at them even as I walked away, turning repeatedly to look over my shoulder at them as I slogged my way across the gravel-strewn shore of Beechey Island until they disappeared from view.

It was profoundly saddening to contemplate their presence on a low-lying, windswept outpost of the Canadian Arctic, to imagine the fear and loneliness those buried here must have felt as they faced death in the harshest of conditions, thousands of miles and a world removed from their homes. And yet, they were the lucky ones, the first casualties of an expedition that vanished 173 years ago while searching for the fabled Northwest Passage between Atlantic and Pacific, whose remaining members met their doom after their ships became frozen in never-yielding sea ice, who perished one by one waiting for a summer that never came.

Not until 1906 was the Northwest Passage eventually transited by ship; the feat would not be repeated for nearly 40 years. Since then, as Arctic sea ice has rapidly dwindled, almost 300 transits have been made of the Passage, the bulk of them since 2007; 24 took place in 2019. On this day, I arrived courtesy of that most modern of intrusions into remote areas: a passenger ship called the Ocean Endeavour, chartered by a company called Adventure Canada. What was once the graveyard of Victorian explorers is now a destination for any sufficiently adventurous and well-financed tourist.

The Arctic is warming, and its sea ice is melting, prompting fevered dreams of ever-easier access, and a renewed jockeying among Arctic nations for status, profit and ownership.

Journeying through the Passage over the best part of three weeks in September yielded the expected fruits of an Arctic journey. A passing ice floe hosted a polar bear seemingly just minutes removed from killing a seal, the victims blood leaving a crimson trail on the ice. A diversion into a bay revealed first a polar bear feasting on a beached beluga carcass, then another bear on an opposite cliff and then two more, and finally an abundance of harp seals and seabirds thrashing through the water as they feasted on a banquet of Arctic cod. We stepped on the low-lying beach of the tiny Jenny Lind Island, randomly named after a Swedish opera singer, and squinted through binoculars at musk oxen in the distance. We passed through the narrow confines of the Bellot Strait, its eponymous co-discoverer a French explorer who was blown off the ice and to his death in the freezing water below, the cliffs on its southern side marking the northernmost point of mainland North America.

We encountered less than a handful of other ships: a Canadian coastguard icebreaker which, a few weeks earlier, had deployed to help the Ocean Endeavour through some stubborn summer ice and a pair of other passenger vessels. There was nothing, at any point in the journey, to suggest that this barely trafficked waterway might be at the heart of an international dispute, let alone the subject of multiple studies into its viability as a commercial shipping route.

But covetous eyes gaze upon the Northwest Passage, more so as Arctic ice retreats; establishing authority over the Passage proffers the prospect of establishing control over access, and there is no consensus as to where that authority lies.

As far as Canada is concerned, there is no controversy over the matter. Citing among other things legal precedent and historic use particularly a millennium or so of use by Inuit Ottawa considers the Northwest Passage to be its internal waters. The United States, brandishing a different legal case and echoing its longstanding position on such matters elsewhere, counters that it is an international strait, an area of high seas that connects two bodies of water which is open for peaceful use by a vessel from any state.

The dispute did not really flare up until the SS Manhattan, a US-flagged oil tanker, transited the Passage (with some difficulty) from east to west and back again in 1969, carrying a symbolic barrel of Prudhoe Bay oil on the return trip, accompanied by a US Coast Guard icebreaker, without seeking authorization. Ultimately, the two countries negotiated an Agreement on Arctic Cooperation, in which they effectively agreed to disagree on the matter. But as Arctic ice melts, so too does the veneer of friendly differences.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, argued in a fiery speech to the Arctic Council in May that Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st-century Suez and Panama Canals, and dismissed Canadas claims to the passage as illegitimate. Of late, China increasingly interested in the possibilities of Arctic shipping lanes and a relatively recently minted observer to the Arctic Council has weighed in, last year publishing an official Arctic policy that, among other positions, gently echoed the American stance on the matter of access to polar passageways.

That such disagreements are articulated at all is testament to the promise that the Northwest Passage is perceived to offer. That promise is perhaps best encapsulated in numbers: numbers such as 15,700 (the distance in kilometers from Yokohama to Rotterdam via the Passage) and 7,600 (the number of kilometers shorter that route would be relative to the Panama Canal), numbers that to some conjure a vision of the Northwest Passage providing a bustling corridor between Pacific and Atlantic and finally fulfilling a destiny centuries in the making.

Queen Elizabeth is said to have waved from her palace window as Martin Frobisher set out on his first expedition to find the Passage in 1576, such was the import attached to establishing a trade route to the Pacific. But the history of the search for the Northwest Passage is a catalogue of incremental successes interspersed with misery and misfortune.

In 1611, having mapped the river and the bay that are now named after him, Henry Hudsons attempts to probe farther west into the ice and the unknown ended with his crew mutinying and sending him overboard in a lifeboat, never to be seen again. Eight years later, Jens Munk and his band of 65 men made it as far as Hudson Bay, and spent the winter near the mouth of Churchill River; racked by cold, scurvy and probably trichinosis from eating insufficiently cooked polar bear meat, none bar Munk and two others survived to see the following spring.

It was in such inauspicious footsteps that Sir John Franklin, and the 128 officers and men of HMS Erebus and Terror, followed as they sailed out of the River Thames on 19 May 1845 on the most ambitious and extensively equipped expedition to the Passage yet. Whaling ships spied them in upper Baffin Bay, just east of the entrance to the Passage, on 26 July; and shortly thereafter the expedition vanished without trace.

Subsequent searches turned up clues: the graves on Beechey Island, where the ships spent the winter of 1845-86; a note indicating that by 22 April 1848, the ships had been trapped in ice for over 18 months, Franklin and 23 others had died, and the remaining crew was setting out south across land in search of safety; Inuit stories of starving white men who had died, one by one, in the snow.

In 2008, the then Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, launched a major effort to find the wrecks of the Erebus and Terror. The goal of the search was not, wrote author Paul Watson in his book Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition, purely historical or archeological; rather it was part of his strategy to mold public opinion, with the Northwest Passage a powerful tool for stirring Canadian nationalism in the twenty-first century. Harpers intent, Watson asserted, was to shore up support for a muscular assertion of Arctic sovereignty, laying claim over a vast stretch of the Arctic seabed, straight up to the North Pole.

As the ice retreats, revealing a potentially resource-rich seabed below, Canada is not alone in its designs on the broader Arctic. In 2007, a Russian submarine planted a rust-proof titanium flag on the seabed at the North Pole, and in October of this year, Russias ministry of defense proclaimed that it had collected enough evidence to support its claims to much of the Arctic Ocean.

Meanwhile, Denmark has laid down its own metaphorical marker, based on a claim that a large area up to and beyond the North Pole is connected to the continental shelf of Greenland which, of course, the Trump administration earlier this year expressed a desire to buy. (That US interest recently prompted the Danish defense intelligence service to declare the island the countrys number one national security priority, ahead of terrorism and cybercrime).

Russia actually supports Canadas position on the Northwest Passage because it considers itself to have similar dominion over the Northeast Passage, which the country refers to as the Northern Sea Route and which stretches above Russias northern coast, from the Bering Strait to the Barents Sea. With a strong assist from Russian investment in ports and infrastructure, the Northern Sea Route is already proving commercially viable: it is estimated that 29m tons of shipments will pass through its waters this year, a 40% increase on 2018; Vladimir Putin has set a target of 80m tons of goods a year by 2024.

And while the 800 or so vessels that transit all or part of the NSR annually is hardly enough to threaten the approximately 15,000 that transit the Panama Canal each year, it is far ahead of the Northwest Passage.

The Northwest Passage remains relatively narrow and relatively shallow, and even in a warming world its twisting straits remain vulnerable to blockage from the sea ice that breaks up and sweeps down from the Arctic Ocean. The Northern Sea Route, in contrast, has no winding narrows with which to contend; there is essentially only the Russian coast to the south and the Arctic Ocean and its retreating sea ice to the north, and its waters are considerably deeper.

For all the hype about its potential, for all the lives that have been lost and the ships that have been wrecked attempting to map its contours, for all the butting of diplomatic heads, it may well be not the Northwest Passage, but the Northern Sea Route that ultimately provides the Arctic pathway which so many have for so long desired.

Harpers Northwest Passage initiative did have some success. In 2014, searchers found the wreck of HMS Erebus; three years later, they also found the almost perfectly preserved wreck of HMS Terror.

Two years after that, I and others from the Ocean Endeavour stood on a barge and watched as underwater archeologists explored the nooks and crannies of, and retrieved artifacts from, the Erebus wreck below us. We were the first visitors to the wreck site, and the personal nature of some freshly retrieved artifacts was jarring. I looked at the shoe that one archeologist tenderly tended to and wondered who might have worn it, and how and when he died. What would he have thought of the notion that, almost 200 years after he set sail, the Northwest Passage would still exercise the thoughts of so many? Would he even recognize it? Certainly, on this day, with ice nowhere to be seen, it would have seemed very different from the horrible place in which he had been trapped, and in which his ship had sunk.

I tried to imagine his hopes and aspirations, and the life he had lived on board, as I peered over the side of the barge and pictured the Erebus in its final resting place, in the dark, turbid waters beneath my feet.

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The race to lay claim on the Bering Strait as Arctic ice retreats - The Guardian

The European Space Agency Is Sending a Robot to Hug Junk Out of Space – Smithsonian.com

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For all its vastness, space is notoriously lacking in landfills.

That means a lot of the stuff we humans send out therebe it satellites or rocket partsends up indefinitely adrift in the cosmos after its job is done. No longer useful for missions and too cumbersome to move or destroy, space debris has spent the last six decades accumulating around our planet like a shroud of schmutz. And this halo of junk is more than an extraterrestrial eyesore: Its mere presence endangers active satellites and spacecraft.

As more probes are pushed into space, the congestion in Earths lower orbit is only increasing. But if all goes according to plan, humankind may soon have a way to combat that troubling trend.

In a statement released earlier this month, the European Space Agency announced plans to launch a tentacled robot into space that will remove a piece of abandoned junk from orbit. The mission, called ClearSpace-1, is quite the emotional rollercoaster. After enveloping a 265-pound hunk of debris called Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (VESPA) in a four-armed hug, the robot will boomerang back to Eartha death dive that will burn up both devices in the atmosphere.

Of course, that means theres no encore act for ClearSpace-1. But if the mission is successful, ESA officials say in the statement, it will be the first to pluck actual debris from orbit. Ideally, they say, it would someday pave the way for a machine capable of multiple captures, sequentially ejecting each object into the atmosphere, reports Hannah Devlin at the Guardian.

Designed by Swiss startup ClearSpace, the robot will begin development in earnest next March, with a total mission budget estimated at $133 million, Devlin reports.

And the robot isnt the only trash-collecting space tech being tested. Some groups are trying out snare tactics that include nets and harpoons; others are toying with the idea of destroying debris with lasers or rocket engines, reports Neel V. Patel for MIT Technology Review. No matter the modus operandi, all are eager to grapple with the growing issue of cosmic garbage.

Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if all the ships ever lost in history were still drifting on top of the water, ESA Director General Jan Wrner says in the statement. That is the current situation in orbit, and it cannot be allowed to continue.

Of the 4,500 satellites currently bopping around Earth, only about 1,500 are active. The rest constitute dangerous clutter. Joining them are about 20,000 other pieces of space junk that are at least four inches wideabout the size of a softball. Those are the ones big enough to be detectable from the ground; many millions more, researchers estimate, float invisibly in the gaps between.

As they orbit the Earth, objects can reach speeds of 17,500 miles per hour, fast enough to damage a wayward satellite or spacecraft. In 2016, a tiny piece of space debris gouged a quarter-inch hole of glass out of one of the windows on the International Space Station (ISS). The culprit, researchers suspect, was probably a paint chip or fragment of metal, no more than a few thousandths of a millimeter across. Had it been much bigger, an entire appendage of the ISS could have been shattered to pieces.

This is the right time for such a mission, ClearSpace CEO Luc Piguet says in the statement. The space debris issue is more pressing than ever before.

That said, grabbing garbage out of space also doesnt address the root of the issue: The unsustainable practices of modern space activity. As such, future efforts need to be about more than just cleaning up whats already up there, Luisa Innocenti, who heads ESAs Clean Space initiative, says in the statement. We need to develop technologies to avoid creating new debris.

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The European Space Agency Is Sending a Robot to Hug Junk Out of Space - Smithsonian.com

Human Rights Day: Free and Equal – The Maritime Executive

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Credit: Greenpeace Southeast Asia

By The Maritime Executive 2019-12-09 16:47:24

Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10, the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a milestone document proclaiming the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.

Article 1 states: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Coinciding with the day, Greenpeace Southeast Asia has released a report in which 13 foreign distant water fishing vessels have been accused of forced labor and other human rights abuses against migrant fishers from Southeast Asia. Seabound: The Journey to Modern Slavery on the High Seas presents a snapshot of the living and working conditions of migrant fishers - mainly from Indonesia and the Philippines - who end up working onboard foreign owned distant water fleets.

Four main complaints wereidentified: deception involving 11 foreign fishing vessels; withholding of wages involving nineforeign fishing vessels; excessive overtime involving eightforeign fishing vessels; physical and sexual abuse involving sevenforeign fishing vessels.

The report also reveals a system of recruitment that traps many Indonesian migrant fishers in conditions of forced labor. One Indonesian migrant fisher onboard Taiwan owned fishing vessel Chin Chun 12 claimed to have not received any salary for the first six months; while another Indonesian migrant fisher onboard Taiwan fishing vessel Lien Yi Hsing 12 reportedly received only $50 in the first four months.

According to the Taiwan Fisheries Agency, as of June 2019, some 21,994 migrant fishers from Indonesia and 7,730 from the Philippines are reportedly working on Taiwanese distant water fishing vessels. These two countries combined represent the majority of migrant fishers on Taiwans distant water fleets a $2 billion industry and one of the top five distant water fishing fleets on the high seas.

The report is available here.

Taiwanese Power Imbalance

Human Rights at Sea has released a new case study on the working conditions for fishers in the Taiwanese fishing industry. It highlighting the power imbalance between migrant fishers, vessel owner, and the recruitment and manning agencies resulting in inappropriate arbitrary termination of the work contract by employer and the denial of workers rights for sick leave. The case study also highlights the need to align national polices and standards with international convention.

Taiwan is in the process of adopting the ILO C188 Work in Fishing Convention with the associated safety, labor and social welfare standards. Yet, evidence continues to be made available that recruitment and manning agency actions are often sub-standard.

The new report Labour Disputes Reveal a Worrying Power Imbalance and Vulnerability of Migrant Fishermen in Taiwans Fishing Industry highlights ongoing incidents which demonstrate gaps in fair management practices for the protection of fishers. It compares the study material with established ILO 188 standards, as well as standards within Taiwanese domestic law for the protection of workers.

The report is available here.

Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea

Also on World Human Rights Day 2019, from within the shipping industry, a merchant crew of 11 seafarers in eight languages show their solidarity and support in a video message to Human Rights at Sea and its work developing the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea, the online platform which is formally launched today.

I am a sailor, and I stand up for human rights at sea, was the message.

Blood Phosphate

New Zealand's Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU), representing port workers at Lyttelton port, handed a letter of protest to the captain of a ship carrying Blood Phosphate mined in the Western Sahara. The Federal Crimsonarrived at the port just before midnight on December 8. Shewas chartered by agrochemical company Ravensdown and is carrying 50,000 tons of phosphate. She was also met by a peace flotilla of 15 kayaks, a yacht, and a ferry filled with more than 100 school children. A further 80 human rights activists sang Sahrawi songs of freedom from land, reports Stuff.

Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since 1975. Over 173,000 Sahrawis have been living in refugee camps in Algeria for the past 43 years. In April, Amnesty International reported continued human rights violations in Western Sahara, including arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, particularly of people supporting self-determination for Western Sahara. The indigenous Sahrawi people accuse New Zealand fertilizer companies of helping to support their oppression.

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Human Rights Day: Free and Equal - The Maritime Executive

Prose and Kohn: Sailing the digital seas – YourObserver.com

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Fans of a local basketball program are getting a treat this season, thanks to an entrepreneurial student-athlete.

Sarasota High senior Blaise Freeman, who played cornerback for the Sailors football team, is continuing down the sports path despite no longer playing on the field. Freeman is following the mens basketball team and shooting highlight videos of their games, mixing in some off-court footage for color.

It is something he first dabbled with two years ago, mostly as an experiment. Freeman had an account on Vine, a now defunct but much beloved social video platform, which he used to edit videos of different sports clips together in stylish ways. Last December, a skiing and snowboarding trip with friends to Maggie Valley, N.C, changed Freemans mindset.

Blaise Freeman films the Sarasota High boys basketball game against Sarasota Military Academy.

My friends asked me to film a couple clips for them, Freeman said. Before then, I had mostly done the editing side, but putting those clips together, I realized the whole process was something I loved doing and something I wanted to do more. I transitioned from editing into doing everything, and I have been doing it ever since.

For Freeman, making highlights are a way to stay connected to the world of sports despite no longer participating on the field. Sports will always be his passion, he said, and he feels this is a path that can lead to big things in the future.

Freemans brand, Blaze Video, has already begun to gain momentum, even though he has only released two episodes of the Sarasota basketball series to YouTube as of Dec. 11. Each has received a few hundred views. On Instagram, a clip of Sailors junior Terrell Pack throwing down a massive dunkhas reached nearly 2,000 views. Freeman said he was happy to see the clip blow up like it did, though he also hopes this is only the beginning of his viral status.

Freemans equipment is hardly high-end. He picked up a used Sony NEX-6 mirrorless camera off Ebay for around $200. He found a 50 millimeter lens for $100. He bought the cheapest microphone he could find. Thats it, though he also wants a handheld gimbal rig for his smartphone to cut down on shaky cam effects.

Whats the secret to success in the video world? According to Freeman, its just practice. The more you try different angles and different effects, he said, the more you get a feel for what works. Freeman said he spends time looking at other peoples highlights, like action sports videographers Spencer Whiting and Chris Rogers, for inspiration and a hint at the latest editing trends.

I am not nearly as versed on this world as Freeman is, but I say can with confidence that his videos are well done, especially for someone who is relatively new to the game. I love seeing athletes pursue other avenues, especially creative ones, and Freeman seems like he has found not only something he is good at, but something that fulfills a purpose.

Be on the lookout because I'm going to do as much work as I can, Freeman said. I'm going to keep putting myself out there, and who knows? Maybe I'll pick up a big job someday.

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Prose and Kohn: Sailing the digital seas - YourObserver.com

Inland solicitor takes to the high seas – Law Society of Ireland Gazette

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Birr solicitor and arbitrator Richard Kennedy has written the story of his leisurely sailing voyage around the coastline of Ireland.

Round Ireland by Slow Boat was described by Fergal Keane on RT Radio 1s Seascapes programme as an entertaining and engaging read.

The book charts the adventures and misadventures of Richard and his wife Rita as they undertake a five-month circumnavigation of Ireland.

Their yacht Seachrn set sail from Rossaveal harbour in Connemara and took in the stark shorelines of Mayo and Donegal, and the gentle coastlines of the eastern seaboard, onwards to the sweeping vistas of the south.

The five-month odyssey was undertaken over two recent summers.

Round Ireland by Slow Boat is available in bookshops, including Charlie Byrne's Bookshop (Galway), The Bookshop (Westport, Co Mayo), Village Bookshop (Terenure, Dublin), and the Midlands Bookshop (Tullamore, Co Offaly).

The book can also be downloaded on Kindle, or ordered online through http://roundirelandbyslowboat.net/

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Inland solicitor takes to the high seas - Law Society of Ireland Gazette

Captain Matt is Master of the High Seas – HGV Ireland.com

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Stena Line Senior Master Matthew Lynch has described his appointment as Captain of the companys newest ferryStena Estridas the highlight of his sailing career to date.

MASTERS OF THE HIGH SEAS: (l-r) Senior Master Matthew Lynch is pictured on board Stena Lines newest ferry Stena Estrid with crew members Cora Bonham, John Thomas, Mark Connell, Ian Grimes, David Morris, Jason Rafferty, Marc Young and Stephen Davies. Captain Matt and his crew are currently steering Stena Estrid on its 10,000 mile journey from the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China, where it was built, to the Irish Sea where it will start service on the Holyhead to Dublin route in January.

Captain Matt (40), an experienced seaman of 24 years, is currently steeringStena Estridon its 10,000 mile journey from the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China, where it was built, to the Irish Sea where it will start service on the Holyhead to Dublin route in January.

The Senior Master role carries a lot of responsibility in terms of leading the team and ensuring Stena Line standards are met, but Matt is looking forward to taking over the reins on boardStena Estrid.

Basically, Im the man in command, explains Matt, with responsibility for implementing Stena Lines policies and ensuring that service standards are put in place and maintained, whilst providing the crew with all the support and assistance they need while away from home.

The best bit though is that I get to drive the ship! he said enthusiastically.

So what does Captain Matt make of the new vessel so far?

All I can say is Wow! continued Matt. Anyone who knows me knows that my expectations are always very high andStena Estridhas far exceeded them! Ive worked on passenger vessels for 24 years seven on cruise ships and 17 on ferries and this ship really is revolution not evolution.

On first boarding the ship, I was struck by the quality of the build and finish. Everywhere you go on board, spaces are bright and airy with large picture windows and the skylight bringing in lots of natural light. Even the car decks are bright from the LED lighting.

Shes very smooth and quiet at sea, so much so that I was standing on the bridge before we departed China and I had to double-check the engineering team had actually started the engines!

At present, as we make our way to the Irish Sea with a much-reduced crew of 27 and no passengers, Im pleased to say thatEstridis a very capable and comfortable ship at sea, performing well in all the conditions she has faced so far.

A couple of weeks into our journey, Im still amazed at how little engine power the ship uses to propel itself, which shows an excellent hull design and importantly ensures that less fuel is burned, resulting in fewer emissions.

Im really looking forward is driving the ship into Holyhead for the first time and welcoming the rest of my crew on board to see their reaction toEstrid! I am confident they will be just as impressed as I am with the ship. Equally, I cannot wait to see how the ship is received by our guests. I believe they are going to be blown away by it! he added.

Part of a multi-million-pound investment in the Irish Sea region,Stena Estridwill be amongst the most advanced vessels in operation andlarger than todays standard RoPax vessels.

At 215 metres in length,Estridwill carry up to 120 cars and 1,000passengers, with a freight capacity of 3,100 lane meters, representing a massive 50 per cent increase in freight tonnage on the Holyhead to Dublin route.

She is the first of five next generation Stena Line RoPax vessels to be completed at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard with a further two sister ships also scheduled to join her on the Irish Sea both operating on the Liverpool to Belfast route.

Stena Eddais expected to arrive next spring with a third vesselStena Emblato be introduced on the in early 2021 increasing freight capacity between Liverpool and Belfast by 20 per cent.

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Captain Matt is Master of the High Seas - HGV Ireland.com

The First Mission to Remove Space Junk From Orbit Has Just Been Commissioned – ScienceAlert

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Wherever we humans go, we leave behind a mess. That goes for space, too.

Today, our species is responsible for more than 500,000 pieces of junk hurtling around Earth at phenomenal speeds, and if we don't start actively removing the largest pieces, the risk of collisions will only grow worse.

"Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if all the ships ever lost in history were still drifting on top of the water,"saysJan Wrner, European Space Agency (ESA) director general.

"That is the current situation in orbit, and it cannot be allowed to continue."

It's almost as if we need a tow truck to remove all the thousands of failed satellites from our orbit; incidentally, that's exactly what the ESA is working on.

By 2025, the agency plans on launching the world's first orbiting junk collector, a four-armed robot that tracks down space waste like Pac-Manin a maze.

The first-of-its-kind mission, known as ClearSpace-1, will start out small, collecting only a single piece of space junk to prove the concept works. The target in this case is called Vespa, a leftover remnant from ESA's Vega rocket launch in 2013.

This piece of junk weighs roughly the same as a small satellite and has a simple shape that should make it easy to grab with four robotic arms. Once it's safely in the arms of the garbage collector, it will then be dragged out of orbit and allowed to burn up in the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, this will also destroy the collector, but in the future, the agency hopes to create a way for the robot to safely eject the rubbish and continue capturing and de-orbiting other pieces.

The ultimate goal is to create a spacecraft that can propel and direct itself in low orbit with a "high level of autonomy", according to the Swiss startup, ClearSpace, which is in charge of designing the machine.

"The space debris issue is more pressing than ever before. Today we have nearly 2,000 live satellites in space and more than 3,000 failed ones," says ClearSpace CEO Luc Piguet.

"And in the coming years the number of satellites will increase by an order of magnitude, with multiple mega-constellations made up of hundreds or even thousands of satellites planned for low Earth orbit."

Creating a network of garbage collectors for these satellites comes with its challenges. Powering a spacecraft, after all, costs a lot of money, and while scientists have been exploring cheaper options for years - like using the garbage it collects as fuel- nothing has so far come to fruition.

The ClearSpace mission is set to cost 117 million euro (US$129 million), but another company based in Tokyo called Astroscale may beat it to the punch. Itplanson launching its first demonstrations within the year, but whether or not it can prove cost-efficient is another matter. Watch this space.

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The First Mission to Remove Space Junk From Orbit Has Just Been Commissioned - ScienceAlert

Applauding Britain for Taking in Young Holocaust Survivors, the BBC Covers Up the Country’s Disdain for Their Wishes – Mosaic

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Next month, the BBC plans to air a docudrama, titled The Children, about some of the roughly 700 young Holocaust survivors who came to Britain in the aftermath of World War II. Rosie Whitehouse writes that the complete story is rather different from the redemptive, feel-good tale being advertised:

After the war the British government offered a home to 1,000 Jewish orphans. But only 731 visas were issued: many of the youngsters point-blank refused to accept the offer from the country they had come to see as an enemy. The orphans wanted to travel to Palestine, but the British, in control of the Mandate territory, were blocking their route with Royal Navy patrols.

This did not deter the Jewish teenagers. They rejected the British visas to join thousands of others attempting to enter Palestine on illegal immigrant ships. A hundred youngsters tried to break through the British blockade on the Josiah Wedgwood, a former Canadian corvette. The survivors joined battle against the Royal Navy sailors who had boarded their illegal immigrant boat on the high seas off the Haifa coast, pelting them with potatoes and tinned food.

Meanwhile the Jewish Brigade, a British military unit recruited from Jews living in the Land of Israel, offered a different choice to a group of young survivors in Italy:

Just like the Boys, [as they were known], who came to Britain, the teenage survivors in Italy were taken to hostels to recuperate. Their new home was the stunning Villa Bencist in Fiesole, above Florence. . . . The Jewish soldiers helped [them] rebuild their lives, filling their charges with a love of Palestine and a deep Zionist commitment, but also giving them a wider education.

None of this is likely to appear in The Children. The Villa Bencist cannot be considered a British triumph. It was, however, a humanitarian one.

Read more at Standpoint

More about: Holocaust survivors, Mandate Palestine, United Kingdom, Zionism

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Applauding Britain for Taking in Young Holocaust Survivors, the BBC Covers Up the Country's Disdain for Their Wishes - Mosaic

Sea Keeper : Save Life, Save the Ocean – QS WOW News

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Indonesia used 9.8 billion plastic bags every year. Almost 95% of it would end up as waste which throws and end up in the ocean into pollution. Pollution drastically affects the sea environment, killing thousands of marine life like marine mammals, sea turtles, and sea birds. Many rare sea plants have become extinct due to discarding plastic wastes in the seas. Pollution does not only affect marine life and their environment, but it also affects mankind. Contaminated water supplies and food chain cause damages and health problems. Responding to this issue, a group of President University Communication Studies students batch 2017 conducted an event entitled Sea Kepper in Citepus Beach, Palabuhan Ratu. The event gave environmental education to the youth who are still in high school and encourage the youth to take part in the action of saving the earth.

Sea Keeper conducted in three days. In the first two days, Communication Studies Students in collaboration with Greeneration Foundation did Socialization Day to schools near Pelabuhan Ratu (11/22-23). They visited several schools, among others SMPN 1 Palabuhanratu, SMPN 3 Palabuhanratu, and SMKN 1 Palabuhanratu. In Socialization Day, Sea Kepper spread awareness in keeping the ocean clean where normally in high school students current ages, they are passive in maintaining the environment in the future.

Saeful Hamdi, Communication and Branding Manager of Greeneration Foundation as one of the speakers in Sea Kepper event said, Not only human health that is disturbed due to waste problems, but sea animals also experience it. Many of these marine animals think that microplastic is their food (plankton), but unfortunately, its only plastic. This situation should make us start to act.

As the main event, Sea Kepper conducted Beach Clean-Up Movement (11/24). The event was attended by representatives of the Environmental Agency Sukabumi District Dedem Sunegar, Head of the Garbage Transport Section of the Environmental Agency Sukabumi District Endang Suherman, representative of the Military Command Palabuhan Ratu Pelda Dodi Salawudi, Ch, and the Police of Palabuhan Ratu, Akp Oki Eka Kartikayana, S.Pd. in Beach Clean-Up Movement, students with all societies around Pelabuhan Ratu cleaned up the trash around the beach and collected it. To immediately handed over to the Department Environment. All of the trashes was directly put into the garbage grinder, so residents and students understood that the trashes was immediately processed properly.

This movement invites all societies, not only Pelabuhan Ratu residents, to be more aware of the dangers of plastic waste. This movement is also accompanied by the distribution of stainless straw aimed at the community better-using items that can be reused (reusable) because no matter how small our efforts to not use plastic is very meaningful to our world.

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Sea Keeper : Save Life, Save the Ocean - QS WOW News

Jalesh: India’s First Multinational Cruise Line With Best of Everything – India.com

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JaleshCruises

Been there, done that? Well, there is one more option that is fast gaining in popularity seeking adventure via a cruise ship. A cruise ship not only ferries passengers on pleasure voyages but also provides them with a host of amenities and stops at different locations that will bring in a whole new level of experience. Of the many cruises that will leave you satisfied and eager for more, are the Jalesh Cruises.

Oceans View in Karnika (Courtesy: jaleshcruises.com)

JaleshCruises are a brand ofJaleshCruises Mauritius Ltd, and it is Indias first multi-destination cruise line that has the best of entertainment shows, adventure activities and exotic authentic cuisines packed with international hospitality on the high sea. The cruise is designed and customised especially for the Indian audience and for the foreigners visiting India to experience the flavour of Indian culture, food and hospitality.

Enjoy a sumptuous meal onboard Karnika (Courtesy: jaleshcruises.com)

DESTINATIONS:

With the promise of discovering thrills onboard as well as offshore,JaleshCruises offers both India and International travel. Of the places in India that you can cruise to, Mumbai, Mormugao in Goa, Daman and Diu, and Ganpatipule on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, feature on their list.

In Mumbai, travellers can spend a day visiting the happening places in the city, including the Elephanta Caves, the spice market, the Banganga and Kotachiwadi Heritage, and the Marvels of Mumbai. On the tour, they can view the sunset overlooking the Queens necklace, eat a scrumptious cuisine, visit the local market town, meet the Dabbawallas and end it by walking the paths of Dhobi Ghat.

Where Goa is concerned, the cruise will head to the seaport of Mormugao where travellers can enjoy the sun, sand and beach and the crystal-clear blue seas. While there, they can soak in the sun, visit the captivating Dudhsagar Waterfalls, and gain spiritual insight with a view of old architecture and a walk around old Goa. Other places that are of interest, are the spice plantation, which is spread across 130 acres in a pristine village in Ponda, and the Basilicas. The tour is followed with lunch at the beach.

A trip to Diu, which is a small island that was earlier occupied by the Portuguese, will have travellers frolicking on the vast beaches. The tour will also include a visit to the famous Diu Fort which overlooks the Arabian Sea, the shell museum, religious places, parks and gardens.

At Ganpatipule, travellers can explore the Konkan coastline, brimming with white sandy beaches, rustic villages and an aura of spirituality. While there, travellers get to view the confluence of a beach and a river alongside a hill shaped like Ganpati, a Hindu God. Untouched by commercialism, Ganpatipule is an idyllic destination to experience a slice of Konkan life, and it also offers water sports between the months of November and May. Ganpatipule is said to house one of the only two white sand beaches in Maharashtra.

INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS:

JaleshCruises international destinations include United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain. In the UAE, the destinations listed are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while in Oman the destinations listed are Muscat and Khasab.

In Dubai, which is the most populated city in the UAE located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf, travellers will get to see many architectural wonders like the Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, and Dubai Aquarium. The tour will also include an adventurous desert safari, traditional cuisines at Atlantis Hotel, a stay at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, and a chance to discover the amazing culture and art of Sharjah. Travellers will also get the chance to indulge in lavish shopping.

Proudly modern and cosmopolitan, Abu Dhabi is the UAEs forward-thinking cultural heart that is filled with art, culture and mind-blowing architectural marvels. The tour includes a visit to the Ferrari World, a lip-smacking lunch at Emirate Palace, and high tea at the magnificent Etihad Towers. Travellers can enjoy Camel Safari at the worlds largest uninterrupted sand mass, the Rub Al Khali, also called as the Empty Quarter, and also visit Sheikh Island, Al Ain (largest Oasis in the city), as well as go on a desert safari.

In Muscat, travellers can experience the richness of Omani hospitality, which include spending time on the beach and diving with turtles in nearby lagoons, and the chance to be entertained by dolphins. A tour of the north side of Oman will include a visit to the wonderful village of Nakhl. Apart from that, travellers can enjoy a desert safari, and a visit to Nizwa Fort while riding through the ancient souk (market) of Mystical Muscat.

Khasab, which is often dubbed the Norway of Arabia, is a city in an exclave of Oman. Travellers can indulge in a Fjord Dhow Cruise, which involves a traditional Omani dhow boat cruising towards Musandams fjord. The boat ride will give one the chance to view the marine wildlife like dolphins, cuttlefish, black-tip reef sharks and many others, as well as breath-taking views of majestic mountains and turquoise waters. There are also water sports like scuba diving and snorkelling, and a visit to the historic Portuguese Fort and rustic Bukha Fort. Other activities include a safari to Jebel Harim and an exciting speed boat transfer to an exclusive beach accessible only by the sea.

Last but not least, Bahrain, which is an island country in the Persian Gulf surrounded by two kinds of water, sweet water springs and salty seawater. Travellers can start off their journey with a visit to the impressive Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed Al-Fateh Fort, and follow it with an exploration of the Al Fateh Grand Mosque. Other places of interest are the local marketplaces that offer exquisite spices, exotic and local pearls, and an array of hand-made carpets, the Bahrain International Circuit, the National Museum, and the camel farm.

ACCOMMODATION:

From waking up with a view of the sea to a specially designed room,JaleshCruises offers passengers a range of rooms. Travellers have the option of choosing Ocean View, Interior, Balcony or Minisuite according to their requirements. The bedding configurations include twin, double, triple and quad share.

The Ocean View cabin sleeps up to four people and comes with a window or porthole, two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed, TV, private shower, wardrobe, safety deposit box, 24-hour room service, fridge, vanity unit and chair, air conditioning, telephone, daily cabin service, complimentary toiletries, and a hairdryer.

Where the Interior room is concerned, it sleeps four people and has all the amenities of the Ocean View cabin except the window or porthole. The amenities are again repeated for Balcony rooms with the only exception being that they can accommodate only two people and have a private balcony. The Minisuite again has all the amenities of the previous three, but sleeps three people, has a proper bath, a balcony, and a sitting area.

ONBOARD EXPERIENCE:

JaleshCruise provides extravaganza plays, breath-taking magic shows, live music concerts, dance shows, shopping, movies, and discos that will keep passengers entertained throughout the cruise.

Entertainment onboard Karnika (Courtesy: jaleshcruises.com)

There is also a spa, a salon, and a fitness centre, and for those fond of eating, they will have the option of choosing from different restaurants and bars that range from casual to connoisseur. The options for dining are listed as Main Dining Room, and Deck and Pool Food Court.

For those travelling with children and teenagers, the ship offers up-to-date content, specifically designed for kids. For those slightly older, they have a dedicated curriculum that keeps them engaged with games, educational pieces and exploration designed to bring out their creative sides.

Even the grown-ups will get the chance to have fun, as there are Casinos onboard where they can play popular games like Blackjack,

Poker, Casino War, slot machines and other table games.

The cruise ship also provides travellers with the option to hold birthday parties, corporate events, and plan for a romantic getaway.

TRIPS:

The Indian trips offered are Mumbai-Mumbai, Mumbai-Diu-Mumbai, Mumbai-High Seas-Mumbai, Mumbai-Goa (Mormugao)-Mumbai, Mumbai-Ganpatipule (Jaigad)-Mumbai, Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai, and Mumbai-Goa (Mormugao)-High Seas-Mumbai, and the international trip is listed as Dubai-Muscat-High Seas-High Seas-Mumbai. The Indian trips all originate from the port in Mumbai, while the departure port for the international trip has been listed as Dubai.

Duration for the trips are listed as, Mumbai-Mumbai 2 Days/1 Night, Mumbai-Diu-Mumbai 3 Days/2 Nights, Mumbai-High Seas-Mumbai 3 Days/2 Nights, Mumbai-Goa (Mormugao)-Mumbai 3 Days/2 Nights, Mumbai-Ganpatipule (Jaigad)-Mumbai 3 Days/2 Nights, Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai 3 Days/2 Nights, Mumbai-Goa(Mormugao)-High Seas-Mumbai 4 Days/3 Nights, and Dubai-Muscat-High Seas-High Seas-Mumbai 5 Days/4 Nights.

Mumbai to Goa Cruise

Cruises in India

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Jalesh: India's First Multinational Cruise Line With Best of Everything - India.com

Moscows Garage Museum Starts Pioneering Online Art Venueand Its More Than a Museum on the Internet – ARTnews

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As artists experiment with the internet and digital media with increasing frequency, museums of all kinds are aiming to crack the code of how to display such art online to a wide audience. Now the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow is entering the field with an ambitious new effort.

Garage, which was founded by art collector Dasha Zhukova and her then-husband, billionaire Roman Abramovich, is starting a multi-pronged new initiative, Garage Digital, which will allow its curators to commission new digital artworks and offer historical context for old ones.

Part of the platforms role will be to support programming within the museums walls, and right now, in connection with The Coming World: Ecology as the New Politics 20302100, its survey exhibition about contemporary art and environmentalism, Garage Digital is hosting new works by artists Posthuman Studies Lab, Sascha Pohflepp with Matthew Lutz and Alessia Nigretti, Gints Gabrns, and James Ferraro and Ezra Miller.

Katya Inozemtseva, the senior curator of the Garage Museum and a member of Garage Digitals workgroup, said that the program is intended to shift the publics understanding of how art and technology interact. We arrived at the idea of sort of non-space, a digital limbo, where the new art could exist and be seen, she told ARTnews in an email. It lives on the logic of a feed and under the legislation of general experience of everyone who uses a smartphone with internet connection. Garage doesnt intend to create a digital ghetto or a museum on the internet. Were reacting to the transformed relationships between physical and digital realities.

The New Museums 2002 acquisition of the New York art-and-technology organization Rhizome serves as a precedent for Garages moves, but Garage Digital comes amid quick-moving changes in the field. Numerous shows about the internet have arrived at global art museums over the past few years, the Serpentine Galleries in London has started an augmented-reality program, and museum director Daniel Birnbaum left the Moderna Museet in Sweden to lead a company focused on virtual-reality works by artists.

Russia presents a particularly unique home for the project, given the countrys unique history with digital art. During the 1990s, many of the most important works from the net.art movement were being produced by Russian artists like Olia Lialina and Alexei Shulgin, who used digital interfaces to ponder the exchange of visual and political information online.

Inozemtseva said that Garage Digital will contextualize works by such pioneersand also aim to create new groundbreaking works through a grant program. Importantly, she said, the texts hosted on Garage Digitals site will appear in both English and Russian, in an attempt to stimulate researchers and scholars of younger generation to move forward, to use the optics and approaches of posthuman theory in order to invent/see/analyze various phenomena in our reality.

Among the initiatives Garage Digital has already started is one dedicated specifically to gaming. According to Inozemtseva, the divide between the digital sphere and everyday life is growing thinner, and games are offering new ways of immersing oneself in technological environments. With that in mind, the museum plans to commission works making use of video games and computer simulations.

But the political climate in Russia could be an obstacle for some of the programming Garage Digital has planned. In November, Russian politicians unveiled a plan to create a sovereign internet, effectively starting a network thats walled off from international countries. Experts have raised questions about whether the new plan could lead to increased censorship online in a way similar to Chinas Great Firewall. Inozemtseva did not seem worried, however.

We think that its more an ideological construct and political tool than a reality, she said of the sovereign internet plan. It definitely does not influence our programming and is not able to. Any regulation of this kind immediately appears absurd, and might be only used as a trigger for artistic production.

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Moscows Garage Museum Starts Pioneering Online Art Venueand Its More Than a Museum on the Internet - ARTnews

‘The Expanse’ Season 4 Review: Hard science, biological conflicts laced with emotions and action makes space d – MEAWW

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This spoiler-free review is based on the six episodes provided to MEAWW

'The Expanse' has always prided itself on ensuring attention to detail and a thorough narrative. This explains why 'New Terra' takes its time in dedicating its entire runtime to get the audience up to speed after Syfy's cancellation last May. The major chunk of the series is a slow burner. It revolves around the character acclimatizing to a new environment. The crew of the Rocinante is back. Captain James Holden (Steven Strait), first officer Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), engineer Amos Burton (Wes Chatham), and pilot Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) take up ample screentime, and their latest work starts off when they touchdown on an alien planet, Ilus.

This season is an adaptation of Cibola Burn, book number four of the 'Expanse' series and continues exploring the themes it tried explaining in its pilot season - the acute knowledge of space, stellar elements and the concept of an intermediary form between human and posthuman. Ilus, aka New Terra, brings all these factors in one place. Also present are a group of Belters who try and make a living out of mining Lithium. There are enough encounters between them and the Royal Charter Energy (RCE).

And while there's enough story to go, the following episodes take its time to establish each layer. For 'The Expanse's staunch followers, this may be a delight. The face-off between the two parties is a thrilling showdown. It is also clear that the series has focused its energy on character development this time. Tipper as Naomi owns the screen in each of her appearances and is one of the bright spots of the latest installment. She also manages to translate the fact that she literally carries the burden of being Rocinante's only Belter.

The sentiments are out there and the series encapsulates some heartfelt moments, again, with Tipper playing a pivotal role in making these moments memorable. For a person who's spent a lifetime in the vastness of space, every little movement comes as an effort one that she manages to convey seamlessly. The laughs come in the form of Chatham's Amos and his sexual banter with Salgueiro's Wei (Murtrys second-in-command). The duo's relationship isn't exactly a smooth ride, but it does form a great plot point to go with.

For those familiar with Cibola Burn, the story has enough zing making it a worthwhile read, and the season makes an honest attempt in explaining the story. There are hard sciences and biological conflicts that are coupled with specks of emotions and actions. Eventually, it is shown that the atmospheric effects impact the RCE and the Belters forcing them to team up. And while there is a hint of predictability, the show justifies this by a lengthy, but a definitely-needed explanation. Ilus is a visual delight. And up until the massive blast that dents the planet's surface, there is breathtaking imagery.

'The Expanse' could have probably looked at giving more meaty roles to its cast. With the enormous focus on science, it's easy to notice the strength and story of these characters fade away at times. This edition of 'The Expanse' justifies the need for season 4 and is convincing enough for a watch after what could rightfully be called a zigzaggy start.

'The Expanse' Season 4 premieres on December 13 on Amazon Prime Video.

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What the interstellar medium tells us about the early universe – Astronomy Magazine

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Molecules containing noble gases shouldnt exist. By definition, these chemical elements helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon are the party poopers of the periodic table, huddling in the rightmost column and refusing to make molecules. Indeed, no one has ever seen any naturally occurring noble gas molecules on Earth. Earlier this decade, though, astronomers accidentally discovered one of these aloof elements in molecules in space.

Then, in 2019, observers reported finding a second kind of noble gas molecule, one they had sought for more than three decades and of a type that was the very first to form after the universes birth in the big bang. This newly found molecule lends insight into the chemistry of the early universe, before any stars began to shine or any galaxies had formed. The discovery may even help astronomers understand how the first stars arose.

Most chemical elements readily share electrons with other elements to make molecules, but noble gases normally dont. Noble gases are in some sense happy as they are, says Peter Schilke, an astrophysicist at the University of Cologne in Germany. Thats because the outer shell of a noble gas atom already has its fill of electrons, so it wont ordinarily exchange electrons to bond with other atoms and form molecules at least, not here on Earth.

In retrospect, space seems the perfect place to seek noble gas molecules, because these gases abound in the cosmos. Helium is the second most common element in the universe, after hydrogen, and neon ranks fifth or sixth. And in interstellar space, where extreme temperatures and densities are the rule, noble gases do things they would never do on Earth. That includes forming molecules.

In addition to providing insight into the universes infancy, these exotic molecules tell scientists about the current conditions in the space between the stars the gases that make up the interstellar medium which is of intense interest to astronomers. The interstellar medium is the place where stars and planetary systems are born, says Maryvonne Gerin, an astrophysicist at the Observatory of Paris and coauthor of a 2016 Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics article on interstellar molecules.

Here on Earth, scientists have been concocting noble gas molecules for nearly a century. In 1925, laboratory scientists were able to force the noble gas helium into a bond with hydrogen to form helium hydride, or HeH+ termed a molecule by astronomers but, because its electrically charged, a molecular ion by chemists.

In 1962 chemist Neil Bartlett coaxed xenon to mate with fluorine and platinum, yielding a mustard-colored compound that was a first: a substance consisting of electrically neutral molecules which both astronomers and chemists are happy to say is full of noble gas molecules. Still, no one has ever seen any naturally occurring noble gas molecules on Earth.

So it seemed this combo would be the most likely quarry for astronomers as well. Instead, they were caught off guard by an even stranger molecule.

But nobody was looking for an interstellar molecule containing argon. It was basically a serendipitous discovery, says University College London astrophysicist Mike Barlow, who led the team that accidentally found ArH+: argonium, which consists of argon and hydrogen.

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What the interstellar medium tells us about the early universe - Astronomy Magazine

Astronomers find 19 more galaxies missing their dark matter – Astronomy Magazine

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But after an academic back-in-forth, where Trujillo and van Dokkum traded salvos in the form of research papers, the answer to whether these galaxies are really missing their dark matter still remains uncertain.

But now, the discovery of 19 more galaxies without dark matter makes DF2 and DF4 seem less bizarre. And if the latest results hold up, astronomers will have to seriously consider what this growing population of galaxies without dark matter means.

The latest batch of galaxies missing dark matter was discovered when Guo and her team explored the nature of 324 dwarf galaxies using data from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. With this data, they followed in the footsteps of Rubin and Ford, studying how fast hydrogen gas rotates around each galaxy. They also calculated how much normal matter in the form of both gas and stars they contained.

After crunching the numbers, Guo and her colleagues determined that, of the 324 dwarf galaxies they investigated, 19 of them contain enough visible matter to solely explain the motions of the galaxies' hydrogen. In other words, a lot of dark matter seems to be missing from these galaxies.

According to the study, "Our results suggest that a population of dwarf galaxies could form in a particular way such that much less dark matter is required than for those in the Local Group [our cosmic neighborhood] and those found in simulations."

And what's the significance of finding galaxies without dark matter? According to van Dokkum, it would mean that astronomers don't really understand how galaxies form in the first place. Scientists currently suspect galaxies only form when the gravity from copious amounts of dark matter attracts the gas and dust needed to kick-start star formation.

"The thing is, we have no idea how star formation would proceed in the absence of dark matter," van Dokkum explained. "All we can say is that there must have been very dense gas early on in their history." Otherwise, the galaxies wouldn't be able to create any new stars.

Moving forward, Guo and her team say that astronomers need to do more work to map the motions of hydrogen gas within these galaxies. And with that, they hope to learn more about how these galaxies without dark matter came to be in the first place.

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Astronomers find 19 more galaxies missing their dark matter - Astronomy Magazine

Europe’s XMM-Newton Telescope Celebrates 20 Years of X-Ray Astronomy – Space.com

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A European Space Agency telescope celebrated 20 years of exploring the secrets of the X-ray universe this week.

The XMM-Newton telescope, which launched on Dec. 10, 1999, has made contributions in various fields of science and astronomy, and has observed objects ranging from galaxy clusters to star flares. But in a press release celebrating the anniversary, scientists zeroed in on the observatory's black hole discoveries.

Black holes are areas in space that are so dense that no other object can escape their pull after passing beyond a point of no return known as the "event horizon." Even light can't escape, which means the black holes can't be seen. But when black holes munch on nearby gas, dust or objects, they produce a distinctive glow that can be mapped out in X-rays.

Video: XMM-Newton Space Observatory at 20 - HighlightsRelated: Our Galaxy's Heart Glows in Psychedelic X-Ray Light

Although XMM-Newton can't see black holes directly in fact, the first-ever image of a black hole was just produced this year using data from the Event Horizon Telescope, a collaboration of observatories from around the world (that does not include XMM-Newton).

What XMM-Newton is good at is seeing X-rays produced by iron molecules. These molecules are heated to high temperatures and ionized, or stripped of their electrons, on their death plunge toward the black hole.

The observatory has made several discoveries in the field of supermassive black holes, which are thousands of times the mass of the sun and which tend to be embedded in galaxies. XMM-Newton made a key find using iron molecules in a supermassive black hole in 2013.

"The X-rays given out from the iron contain information about the geometry and dynamics of the black hole," ESA said in a statement. "XMM-Newton was used to measure such emission in order to study the rotation rate of the supermassive black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy NGC 1365."

XMM-Newton also spotted flashes from a black hole embedded in the galaxy GSN 069, emanating about once every nine hours. "These eruptions are thought to be coming from the matter caught in the black holes gravitational grip, or from a less massive black hole circling the more massive one," ESA said in the statement.

XMM-Newton is still working well, and the observatory will focus on supermassive black holes and the galaxies in which they are hosted in the coming years.

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Europe's XMM-Newton Telescope Celebrates 20 Years of X-Ray Astronomy - Space.com