Daily Archives: September 9, 2022

Yale astronomers weigh in on newly captured sound emitted by black hole – Yale Daily News

Posted: September 9, 2022 at 6:03 pm

NASA has extracted the sound waves from a black hole 250 million light years away and made them audible.

Sammi Kwon 11:06 pm, Sep 07, 2022

Contributing Reporter

Jessai Flores, Staff Illustrator

NASA released a groundbreaking audio clip of the soundwaves emitted by the black hole in the Perseus Galaxy Cluster, located 250 million light years away from Earth.

Astronomers have been aware of the sound waves emitted by the black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy Cluster for nearly 20 years, since they were first captured by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in 2003. However, the sonification the conversion of astronomical data into sound is a recent development by researchers at NASA. The process involves sound waves being extracted radially, outwards from the center of the black hole, and then transposed up by 57 to 58 octaves to make them audible to the human ear. While the audio is fascinating in itself, it also provides another dimension of data in investigating black holes, star formation and galaxies for researchers. Yale astronomers underscored the significance of this development.

It provides sort of a unique way to study the environments of black holes, said astronomy professor and department chair Priyamvada Natarajan. Right around the vicinity of the black hole, there is a medium, theres a lot of gas sitting around. And this gas reverberates, so you can see these sound waves, and thats the sonification project.

The black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy Cluster has been investigated ever since researchers at NASA realized that it emitted pressure waves that would interact with gasses around it and produce sound waves. These sound waves are not audible to the human ear without modification, but now that NASA transposed the waves they can be listened to, interpreted and analyzed.

The waves are indicators of how energy from the black hole is interacting with the surrounding gasses. Energy propagating from the black hole interacts with gasses in the form of sound waves, and this interaction heats gasses up. Star formation relies heavily on heated gasses, so the sonification project and investigation of sound waves could help researchers better understand the formation of stars.

The general research used for data like this is to understand the role supermassive black holes play in regulating the star formation in the universe, said Michael Tremmel, post-doctoral associate of astronomy.

For researchers, the importance of this development stems from the tangible representation of the way black holes, specifically their sound waves, interact with the surrounding space.

Its not so much directly the black hole. Its more of the effect the black hole has on its surroundings, said Frank van den Bosch, Yale professor of astronomy and physics, whose research focuses on cosmology and galaxy formation.

The sonification project has provided a new way for astronomers to interact with data in different forms. While astronomers are familiar with visual forms, the project has provided data that will expand the ways in which researchers can learn about black holes. In addition to information, the sonification project also provides further accessibility of data in non-visual forms.

When you hear something, you learn about it in a very different way, no matter how many different times youve looked at it, said Kimberly Arcand, data visualizer and science communicator at NASA. It would be fantastic to be able to capture the sound waves of other black holes in the universe.

Albert Einstein first hypothesized the existence of black holes in 1916.

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Astronomers launch campaign to protect the dark night sky from light pollution – The Independent

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Humanity is blinding itself with light and losing sight of the starry night skies that once guided our ancestors and filled them with wonder, according to the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the international astronomy organization is doing something about it.

More than 80% of the worlds population has their view of the night sky curtailed due to light pollution, according to the ESO. The increasing number of satellites in orbit are photobombing the views of professional telescopes at the few remaining dark sky sites, such as the Very Large Telescope the ESO operates in Chile.

In response the ESO has launched a campaign to educate people about light pollution and the negative impacts of satellite mega-constellations on both professional and amateur astronomy. They launched a website spelling out the problem and created a social media hashtag, #ProtectDarkSkies, to spread the word. In a Tweet posted Wednesday using the new hashtag, the ESO pointed out that about one third of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way the thick disk of our galaxy rich with dust and stars in the night sky from where they live.

Light pollution, electric light from human settlement and industry, makes it harder to see the more subtle celestial lights of the night sky. A 2019 survey found that 57% of English people could pick out more than 10 stars in the night sky, while just 2% could pick out 30 or more.

But light pollution goes further than cutting off views of the sky, according to the ESO campaign website.

Light can intrude into bedrooms, distract drivers, and upset the natural body clock of animals, the ESO website reads, noting human health can suffer without a clear light-dark cycle. And in the natural world, Flocks of migratory birds and dung beetles alike orientate themselves using the Milky Way, and are disorientated by light pollution.

The loss of astronomical views is more dramatic than most contemporary urban dwellers may understand. In a graphic on the ESO website illustrating a measure of light pollution known as the Bortle Scale, it shows just how much of the further universe is actually visible with the naked eye when standing under a truly dark night sky.

Even more problematic for professional astronomers than light pollution are the swelling mega-constellations of low Earth orbit satellites, such as those being launched by the UKs OneWeb and the Starlink constellation of SpaceX. Companies plan to launch as many as 100,000 of these satellites in the coming years, and astronomers worry that they will reflect sunlight in ways that impairs important astronomical observations.

And in the case of the Starlink satellites, many observations have already been impacted by the long white streaks of satellites passing through a telescopes view during a long exposure.

To combat these issues, the ESO has launched the Protect Dark Skies campaign and suggested new lighting standards, noting that light pollution isnt just any light, but artificial light that shines where it is neither wanted, nor needed.

The ESO is also a member of the International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference, which was founded in April to help coordinate efforts to study and mitigate effects of satellites on astronomy. The ESO has also petitioned the United Nations to take action, leading to a discussion of the issue of satellite interference at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space earlier in 2022.

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Astronomers launch campaign to protect the dark night sky from light pollution - The Independent

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President of the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford coming to Manross Library – The Bristol Press

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BRISTOL The President of the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford will be coming to Manross Library Sept. 19 to discuss the recent images captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

The free program will be held at 2 p.m. at the library at 260 Central St. Chris Markiewicz, president of the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford, will be going over the first images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, which were released by NASA on July 12.

The telescope, which was launched on Dec. 25 2021, has captured high definition images of the Carina Nebula, a young star forming region, Stephan's quintet, a grouping of five galaxies, the Southern Ring Nebula, and more.

Teresa Goulden, supervisor of branch services at Manross Memorial Library, said that Markiewicz will lend his astronomical expertise to further explain the beautiful images captured by the advanced telescope.

People are very curious to take a look at these beautiful images, she said. The James Webb Telescope is capturing images that allow us to see space in ways that weve never seen before. NASA is just starting to release them to the public and there is a lot of buzz about them. It gives you a whole different perspective on your place in the universe.

According to the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartfords website, the organization is a group of amateur astronomers interested in observing, imaging and studying the wonders of the heavens. The group participates in public education in astronomy through its public observing program and outreach events.

Member meeting are held online on the third Wednesday of the month from September through May. The group also holds public observations at the Van Vleck Observatory at Wesleyan University in Middletown.

For more information, visit asgh.org

Registration is required for the program at Manross Library.

People can register at Manross Memorial Library, by visiting bristollib.com or by calling 860-584-7790.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.

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What is Ladakh’s Dark Sky Reserve astronomy facility? – The Indian Express

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By the end of 2022, India will establish the countrys first Dark Sky Reserve in the cold desert regions of Ladakh, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Science and Technology, announced Saturday. This facility will also promote astronomy-tourism, he said.

A Dark Sky Reserve is public or private land with a distinguished nocturnal environment and starry nights that has been developed responsibly to prevent light pollution.

According to the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) website, these reserves consist of a core area meeting minimum criteria for sky quality and natural darkness, and a peripheral area that supports dark sky preservation in the core.

These reserves, it said, are formed through a partnership of multiple land managers who have recognized the value of the natural nighttime environment through regulations and long-term planning.

Individuals or groups can nominate a site for certification to the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA). There are five designated categories, namely International Dark Sky parks, communities, reserves, sanctuaries and Urban Night Sky Places.

The certification process is similar to that of a site being awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag or getting recognised as a Biosphere Reserve. Between 2001 and January 2022, there have been 195 sites recognised as International Dark Sky Places globally, the IDSA said.

The IDSA considers a piece of land suitable for dark sky place only if it is either publicly or privately owned; is accessible to the public partially or entirely during the year; the land is legally protected for scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment purposes; the core area of the land provides an exceptional dark sky resource relative to the communities and cities that surround it and the land offers prescribed night sky brightness either for a reserve, park or sanctuary.

India is still in the process of filing its nomination to IDSA.

The Ladakh Union Territory administration is leading the efforts in establishing the countrys first Dark Sky Reserve.

To be situated at a height of 4,500 metres above sea level, the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) will come up within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Department of Science and Technology and experts from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, are providing scientific and technological support in developing this first-of-its-kind facility. The IIA already manages the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) complex at Hanle, Ladakh.

Here, scientists have been carrying out astronomical observations using the existing gamma ray, an infrared and an optical telescope to study exoplanets, galaxies and stars through the pristine skies of Hanle.

The formal decision to set up this Dark Sky Reserve was made through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between officials from the IIA, Bengaluru, the Ladakh UT and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council in June this year.

Ladakh is a unique cold desert located about 3,000 metres above sea level with high mountainous terrains. Long and harsh winters with minimum temperatures dropping to minus 40 degrees Celcius make large parts of the UT highly inhabitable.

This aridity, limited vegetation, high elevation and large areas with sparse populations all make it the perfect setting for long-term astronomical observatories and dark sky places.

But the primary objective of the proposed Dark Sky Reserve is to promote astronomy tourism in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner. Scientific methods will be used here to preserve the night sky from ever-increasing light pollution.

With metros, cities and peripheral areas experiencing light pollution and remaining constantly lit up, there are diminishing areas that offer a view of clear skies on cloudless nights, experts have noted.

After it became a UT, tourism in Ladakh has seen an uptick during favourable months. However, its fragile environment is vulnerable to rising carbon footprint and in-coming vehicles. The Ladakh Tourism Vision Document 2022 underlined the need for efforts to increase the use of green fuels and boost carbon-neutral activities.

The locals in Ladakh are sensitive towards the conservation of the ecosystem. They are keen to protect the environment from getting deteriorated, said Prof Annapurni Subramaniam, Director, IIA. Since June, experts have held active interactions with the locals. A number of initiatives are underway ahead of opening the HDSR to the public.

Our teams travelled to remote villages to give hand-outs to villagers sharing details about the training programmes, the IIA Director said.

In the pilot phase, the IIA has procured ten small and easy-to-handle telescopes and light-reflecting shields. IIAs scientists and outreach experts will identify locals and train them to use these telescopes. This will include basic sky gazing, identification of constellations, and locating the pole star, among others. These telescopes will be installed at the homestays, which is a popular option for tourist accommodation in Ladakh.

The 22-km radius around the Hanle observatory, where the core Dark Sky Reserve will stand, will have restrictions imposed on outdoor lighting. All vehicles will be barred from using high-beam headlights. Houses here will be encouraged to use curtains of darker shades, install light reflecting shields and switch off all unwanted illumination.

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What is Ladakh's Dark Sky Reserve astronomy facility? - The Indian Express

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La Salle Library to host Be a Backyard Astronomer event on Sept. 17 – News-Tribune

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The La Salle Public Library will host a showcase event for Project Next Generation: Destination Discoveries Be a Backyard Astronomer program from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.

The event is mostly intended for youth ages 11 through 14 and their families.

Be a Backyard Astronomer, is a grant-funded, six-week, independent, mentor-supported, distance kit learning program that includes hands-on science and technology activities about daytime and nighttime astronomy.

At the showcase event, visitors will have an opportunity to find out about the program, meet the mentor, browse the kit contents and activities, learn about a field trip opportunity to Chicagos Adler Planetarium, register for one of 18 spaces available in the Be a Backyard Astronomer program, conduct a simple series of experiments in the power of Ultra-Violet rays and watch a Glowforge CNC Laser Cutter/Engraver in action.

Funding for Project Next Generation: Destination Discoveries is provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.

The showcase event is free and open to the public. The La Salle Public Library is located at 305 Marquette Street, La Salle, and is ADA welcome and compliant. For more information, call the Library at 815-223-2341.

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China Accuses NSA of Hacking Its Military Research University – VICE

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CHINA SAID THE US NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY IS BEHIND A CYBERATTACK ON A CHINESE UNIVERSITY. PHOTO: KEVIN KU VIA UNSPLASH

China has accused the U.S. National Security Agency of hacking the information system of a key Chinese university that develops secret weapons for the countrys military.

Chinese authorities said Monday they have traced the source of recent cyberattacks on the countrys Northwestern Polytechnical University to the NSAs Office of Tailored Access Operations, a secretive unit of the agency known for breaking into computers around the world and getting the ungettable.

The university works closely with the Chinese military on aeronautics and defense research and had in June reported being attacked by foreign hackers who sent staff and students phishing emails.

China has been increasingly vocal in accusing U.S. individuals or groups of carrying out cyberattacks on Chinese users and institutions, in what some analysts have called an information campaign to counter U.S. allegations of Chinese hacking.

In February, a Chinese cybersecurity firm linked the NSA to a hacking operation with targets spanning 45 countries, including China.

The Northwestern Polytechnical University in June said its staff and students received emails disguised as invitations to academic events or scientific review but were trying to steal email logins. On Monday, Chinas National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center said the attack was carried out by the NSA. The center said it conducted an initial investigation with the Beijing-based internet security company 360 Security Technology Inc.

Albert Zhang, a researcher with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said he detected hundreds of inauthentic Chinese state-linked social media accounts sharing statements and memes blaming the NSA for the cyberattack even in the weeks leading up to the centers announcement.

Regardless of whether the claims are true or false, this coordination of official statements and covert activity may be part of a broader propaganda campaign to negatively portray the U.S. and show off Chinese cybersecurity capabilities, Zhang told VICE World News.

The NSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Funded and directly managed by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shaanxi province is among a number of public Chinese institutions sanctioned by Washington over its close ties with the military. The university helps with the development of military weapons, including drones, fighter jets, and spacecraft.

The alleged U.S. hacking did not result in any significant data leak, the university said in June.

Speaking at a regular press conference on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the phishing emails targeting the university is another example of the U.S. governments cyber attacks on China. The US has also long carried out indiscriminate audio surveillance against Chinese cell-phone users, illegally stole text messages from them and conducted wireless positioning, said Mao, who called on the U.S. to offer an explanation.

The case was also widely covered by Chinese media outlets and racked up more than 380 million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo by Monday evening.

The U.S. government and internet security companies have for years pointed fingers at China for a wide range of hacking operations. Beijing has repeatedly denied involvement in such campaigns.

Follow Rachel Cheung on Twitter and Instagram.

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Behind the Toque: An Interview with NSA Noodle Bar Executive Chef Brooke Apfelbaum – greenpointers.com

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Since fall 2021, No String Attached Noodle Bar (or NSA Noodle Bar, for short), has been serving up globally inspired fusion noodle dishes from ramen to carbonara and beyond at 135 N 5th Street with Executive Chef Brooke Apfelbaum at the helm.

The restaurant was established by experienced restaurateurs (who double as architectural designers) Chiwa Yeung and Spencer Cartledge and designed in part by Apfelbaum after her idea to sell pasta kits for La Margarita Pizzeria, which Yeung and Cartledge bought in spring 2020. Since then, the team expanded their noodle concept to an actual brick and mortar location featuring a myriad of both Italian and Japanese fare.

Greenpointers got in touch with Chef Brooke to discuss her mentorship of kitchen staff, the importance of simplicity, her favorite neighborhood taco spot, and more.

Greenpointers: What brought you to No Strings Attached?

Chef Brooke Apfelbaum: During the pandemic, I was applying everywhere and I applied to this place called La Margarita Pizzeria and thats how I found out about Chiwa and Spencer, my owners. I ran that place for a year and a half during the pandemic and the landlord raised the rent, so we had to come up with an idea, so with my background of being an actual chef and not just being a pizza chef, I was just like, Why dont we open up a restaurant? And so we came up with this noodle concept because I started doing at-home noodle kits at the pizzeria, and that was a big hit. So then we expanded that idea into finding an actual place where we can actually do noodles.

With my background, I came from the Culinary Institute of America. Im also from Florida, so I wanted to bring some of my Floridian flair to the menu that we created, thats why its more like a seafood-driven menu than anything. [Yeung and Cartledge are] architects, so we all have different concepts of how we wanted to do this they structured the place how they wanted it and then I made the menu the way I wanted it. So thats how we collaborated.

I found my team slowly; I started this place originally by myself and then I had another person come along with me. I kind of hire people who dont have much experience so I can teach them how to cook or even serve or bartend. Most of my staff is actually from the military so I teach them how to work in the hospitality industry.

Greenpointers: How is NSA different from anywhere else youve been prior?

Chef Apfelbaum: I try to maneuver my management style differently because I grew up where chefs would yell at you, and it would be, like, really hostile coming to work. But for me, were a family here and working well together will make a great restaurant. We work well together, we feed off each other well. Like it should have a great impact on how customers feel about even coming into the restaurant, how homey it feels, how its not hostile; like its a good spot in the area for people to just come and chill or have a date night or even bring their kids. And the menu, I designed it so all types of people can eat it off of it gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, pescatarian.

Greenpointers: What is your philosophy in the kitchen?

Chef Apfelbaum: Again, I dont yell unless its a really bad situation, but I like to teach my staff everything on hand and if they dont know anything, they can ask me questions. They should never be scared to even bring up their own creativity. Because when I hire someone, I do tell them when we change the menu, I like everyones opinion before I even implement it. I know its usually just [the] executive chef, but I like to have everyones opinion cause we are cooking the food, so I like to have my staff like to cook what they cook.

I dont want anything too complicated, because when we do have a bunch of people coming in, I love simplicity. The ingredients should speak for themselves.

Greenpointers: What would you recommend for someone dining with NSA for the first time?

Chef Apfelbaum: Either the truffle tonkotsu [ramen] or the angel hair uni, which is really nice. For the tonkotsu we do our house-braised pork chashu, and we infuse the broth with truffles. And the uni dish is really popular; we get our uni from California right now, usually Maine in the fall. We infuse that with angel hair and we top it with nori panko. So its an infusion of both Italian and Japanese flair.

Greenpointers: Is there anything coming up at the restaurant that youre particularly excited about?

Chef Apfelbaum: Right now, were still planning on the fall menu. Im really excited for fall dishes because its more comforting and hearty, like short ribs, maybe even oxtail. I feel like its gonna be really cold this year, so thats up and coming.

Greenpointers: What are some of your favorite North Brooklyn spots?

Chef Apfelbaum: The Charleston, Vera Cruz, late-night bars. The Four Horsemen is really good. My favorite Mexican spot is definitely Taqueria Diana, I always go with friends at night. I love the vibe [in Williamsburg].

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In the Garden: Tour gives Omahans a chance to see how a ‘Bloom Box’ works – Omaha World-Herald

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Lindsey Button gives her Bloom Box garden a 10 out of 10.

They are easy, sustainable and help support native pollinators, she said. Theres no maintenance after the first couple of years.

The bloom boxes she used to fill the garden bed, which she carved out of part of her front lawn, came with plants chosen by Nebraska Statewide Arboretum horticulturalists, along with a design plan and instructions for maintaining the garden. The My Garden Affiliate program is designed for home gardeners seeking to use their private gardens to create a more resilient environment.

Button filled one part of the garden bed with the 24 plants that came in her first Bloom Box in 2019, and then added more in 2021.

Her garden will be on display as part of the NSAs annual Omaha Garden Walk on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

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A half-dozen local gardens across the city will be open to tour, with owners on hand to answer questions and provide information about the plants and garden design.

The Garden Walk is a chance for local gardeners participating in our programs to show off the beautiful results of their hard work, while also inspiring others to explore and learn about the benefits of sustainable gardening, NSA Program Coordinator Sarah Buckley said.

Button earned a masters of science in biology in Canada, focusing on the benefits of native pollinators and their impact on crop yields.

She saw first-hand the huge benefits of native pollinators but didnt have any idea of what plants to grow here in Nebraska to attract them.

Shes a novice gardener, and this is the first home for her and husband, Colin Cassard.

It was daunting, she said, to think of coming up with a plant list, figuring out when things bloomed and how big they would get. With a Bloom Box, she could leave that up to the NSA.

Im no landscaper, she said. So having some kind of guide to follow is ridiculously helpful.

Button says the bed of perennials looks a little bit like organized chaos. Her coneflowers and blue sage are flourishing as well as the ironweed. The rose milkweed provided some food for the monarch caterpillars found by the kids across the street.

Now that the garden is established, Button said shes only had to weed a few times this year. She cautions that its important to put a label with each plant, so it doesnt get pulled up by accident by gardeners unfamiliar with the native varieties.

Thats what she almost did to her new blue wood aster.

The NSA provides a sign to post in a bloom box garden, so anyone walking by can learn whats in the garden and its purpose.

Ive had a lot of people stop and support my little lawn patch, she said.

Tickets for the Garden Walk are $5/car for NSA members and $10/car for nonmembers. Participants will be provided with a map of the gardens on the tour and a description of each.

To register for the Omaha Garden Walk, visit plantnebraska.org/events and click on Omaha Garden Walk.

Deep roots of native plants

One of the things that fascinates Button about native grasses is their root growth.

Native grasses with their deep roots are more able to survive drought.

Because their roots go so deep, they are much more suited to survive here, especially with the challenges ahead due to climate change.

A lawn will go maybe four inches, she said. Look at the roots on some of those native grasses and its like feet and feet and feet. They are way better evolved to thrive in this kind of environment.

Those deep roots reduce the amount of water required, especially important in times of drought.

Seeking difference makers

Each year the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum presents recognition awards to those in our state who are working to plant trees, make gardens, build their communities and educate others about the importance of greening towns and protecting natural spaces.

NSA is accepting nominations through Oct. 3 for the following award categories:

Blazing Star Award: Recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution toward advancing the horticultural use of native plants or the restoration of native plant communities in Nebraska.

Johnny Appleseed Award: Recognizes an individual who embodies the generous spirit of Johnny Appleseed through a sustained personal involvement in tree planting in Nebraska.

Educator Award: Recognizes educators who have made an outstanding contribution toward advancing the knowledge and appreciation of plants among their students.

Community Landscape Award: Recognizes individuals, groups, businesses or organizations (including governmental units) for the implementation of a landscape project or activity that has significantly improved the green infrastructure of a community. Such projects should reach beyond beautification to include elements of sustainability such as water conservation, stormwater management, land stewardship, tree-canopy restoration, habitat, biodiversity, soil improvements, education and outreach, native plants, etc.

The awards will be presented on Nov. 4. Nomination form are available at plantnebraska.org/awards.

Gardeners across a swath of Omaha were assessing damage to their plants Wednesday after a hailstorm moved through Tuesday night.

The goal is to allow grass to grow unmown for the month of May, creating habitat and forage for early season pollinators.

Tomatoes will still likely be the biggest topic of conversation when "Backyard Farmer"kicks off its 70th season Thursday night, host Kim Todd predicts. So will turf.

2021 has been the year of the houseplant. When Omaha photographer Jesi Lee decided to take pictures of people with their beloved plant babies,

An Omaha couple transformed their home and land, giving wildlife and pollinators a more sustainable home.

Two Omaha couples sharing a corner-lot home and trying to practice a sustainable lifestyle, were met with some friendly and not-so-friendly

This fun story looks at photographer and artist Mary Robbins, who uses everything from old bottles to mannequins to turn her backyard south of

Buying houseplants in Omaha especially the uncommon varieties exploded in 2021. It's the same with the accessories that go with them.

For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas sign up now!

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Three area teams pickup wins to start football season – The Suffolk News-Herald – Suffolk News-Herald

Posted: at 6:02 pm

Published 7:26 pm Tuesday, September 6, 2022

By Matthew Hatfield

Contributing Writer

Three area teams picked up gridiron wins Friday night, while one dropped its first game of the season.

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Kings Fork and Nansemond River all defeated their opening week opponents, while Lakeland fell in its second contest of the fall season.

There was not a lot of tackling in NSAs 56-49 triumph over Blue Ridge, yet plenty of head-spinning action from the two offenses. Helping the Saints outlast the Barons on the road was senior quarterback Gabe Wansart, who turned in a masterpiece with 474 yards passing, six touchdowns and no interceptions to go with another 40 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown.

As a coach, you tend to look at the weaker points of the game and not focus enough on the positives. But there were plenty of positives to look at offensively, said NSA coach Mike Biehl.

It was probably our quarterbacks best game of his career, Biehl said. Gabe made a ton of plays, and when we needed something, he gave it to us along with our skill guys.

Six-foot-4 junior receiver Isaiah Fuhrmann had seven catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Hes really come into his own in the last 8-10 months, Biehl added.

Another multi-sport athlete from basketball, Caden Bradford, chipped in four receptions for 180 yards and a pair of scores.

NSAs first game was suspended due to lightning in the second quarter against North Cross, trailing 26-0.

Up next, the Saints face Christchurch (1-0) a 35-6 victor over Middlesex in its opener on the road on Sept. 10.

Anthony Joffrions Bulldogs put forth a strong effort to kick off the 2022 campaign in blanking the Smithfield Packers in a non-district road opener.

I think we played really well and as a family. We were able to get pretty much everyone into the game and a lot of guys got that first game varsity experience, Joffrion said.

To be honest, the last time we played was against Maury, so we had a bad taste in our mouths since the scrimmage. We coached them really hard for two weeks and they corrected a lot of those mistakes.

Kaletri Boyd found the endzone three different ways, including on a 94-yard kickoff return and 35-yard reception to go with a rushing touchdown. Another senior, QB Cameron Butler, completed 6 of 11 passes for 126 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go with 35 yards rushing.

Tailback JaVon Ford not only rushed for 72 yards and a couple of scores on nine carries, but successfully booted through five extra points. Fellow sophomore Jahmel Mackey made three catches for 53 yards.

Defensively, the Bulldogs saw seniors Ronald Rhodes and Isayah Singleton as well as junior Jacolbe Leonard each get to the quarterback and register a sack. Singleton and Rhodes also recovered fumbles.

Kings Fork will visit Southeastern District rival Indian River, which is 2-0, on September 10th in a highly anticipated matchup.

They look really good on film, Joffrion stated of a Braves team that has outscored opponents 71-12 thus far. Im very excited for this upcoming week.

Sophomore running back Melvin Brown helped provide some separation with an 81-yard touchdown run with 6:15 remaining as the Warriors held off Southeastern District foe Great Bridge on the road.

Melvin was awesome. That play he had was really big, said Warriors coach Alonzo Ricks Jr. He played last year on J.V. and has been doing well throughout the summer. When his number has been called, hes been responding.

The only other time Nansemond River found the end zone was on Damonte Bassettes 12-yard touchdown run in the second period. Great Bridge limited the Warriors to just 193 total yards of offense in a physical, defensive battle.

It was hard-fought. Coach [Curtis] Campbell did a great job getting those guys prepared and kudos to them, Ricks added. Our defense found a way to make stops and plays. When they started moving the ball, we just made sure we protected our end zone.

On defense for the Warriors, Jayden Bradley made two interceptions, one to end each half, preserving a 2-0 start for the Warriors before a key tilt with Western Branch (2-0) on Sept. 9 at Kings Fork.

After notching a 25-10 victory over Manor in Marcus Cutlers coaching debut, the Lakeland Cavaliers fell to 1-1 overall on the season with a 33-22 loss at Southampton.

Next for the Cavs is a trip to Booker T. Washington (1-1), which beat Hampton 40-0 in its last contest.

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The big idea: why relationships are the key to existence – The Guardian

Posted: at 6:01 pm

Quantum theory is perhaps the most successful scientific idea ever. So far, it has never been proved wrong. It is stupendously predictive, it has clarified the structure of the periodic table, the functioning of the sun, the colour of the sky, the nature of chemical bonds, the formation of galaxies and much more. The technologies we have been able to build as a result range from computers to lasers to medical instruments.

Yet, a century after its birth, something remains deeply puzzling about quantum theory. Unlike its illustrious predecessor, Newtons classical mechanics, it does not tell us how physical systems behave. Instead, it confines itself to predicting the probability that a physical system will affect us in one way or another. When an electron is fired from one side of a wall with two holes, for instance, quantum theory tells us where it will end up on the other side, stubbornly saying nothing plausible about which hole it has gone through. It treats any physical system as a black box: if you do this to it now, it will react like that later. What happens in between? The theory simply doesnt tell us.

Many scientists are content with this, but others are puzzled. Among the latter, some make hypotheses: they propose complicated stories about parts of nature that are hidden from us for ever, or multiple universes that underpin the part of reality we do see. Others resign themselves to the notion that science is not about what things really are: it is only about what we are able to directly observe.

Another idea has recently begun to catch on. Perhaps there is no need to make anything up about what lies behind quantum theory. Perhaps it really does reveal to us the deep structure of reality, where a property is no more than something that affects something else. Perhaps this is precisely what properties are: the effects of interactions. A good scientific theory, then, should not be about how things are, or what they do: it should be about how they affect one another.

The idea seems radical. It pushes us to rethink reality in terms of relations instead of objects, entities or substances. The possibility that this could be what quantum physics is telling us about nature was first suggested a quarter of a century ago. For a while it remained largely unnoticed, then several major philosophers picked it up and began to discuss it. Nowadays interest in the idea, called the Relational Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, is steadily growing. It is a possible solution to the puzzle of quantum theory: what quantum phenomena are is evidence that all properties are relational.

There is a strikingly similar definition of existence at the root of the western philosophical tradition. Platos The Sophist contains the following phrase: Anything which possesses any sort of power to affect another, or to be affected by another, if only for a single moment, however trifling the cause and however slight the effect, has real existence; and I hold that the definition of being is simply action. [] And in the eastern tradition, the Buddhist philosopher Ngrjunas central notion of emptiness (nyat) tells us that nothing has independent existence: anything that exists, exists thanks to, as a function of, or according to the perspective of, something else.

So maybe this is not such a radical idea after all. We all know that a chemical substance is defined by how it reacts, a biological species is defined according to the niche it occupies in the biosphere, and what defines us as human beings is our relationships. Think of a simple object such as a blue teacup. Its being blue is not a property of the cup alone: colours happen in our brain as a result of the structure of the receptors in the retina of our eyes and as a consequence of the interactions between daylight and the cups surface. Its being a teacup refers to its potential function as a drinking vessel: for an alien who doesnt know about drinking tea, the very notion of a teacup is meaningless. What is more, its stability as an object depends on the timescale in which we consider it: take a longer view and it is just a fleeting aggregation of atoms. And are these atoms themselves independent elements of reality? No they are not, as quantum theory shows: they are defined by their physical interactions with the rest of the world.

So quantum physics may just be the realisation that this ubiquitous relational structure of reality continues all the way down to the elementary physical level. Reality is not a collection of things, its a network of processes.

If this is correct, I think it comes with a lesson. We understand reality better if we think of it in terms of interactions, not individuals. We, as individuals, exist thanks to the interactions we are involved in. This is why, in classic game theory, the winners in the long run are those who collaborate. Too often we foolishly measure success in terms of a single actors fortunes. This is both short-sighted and irrational. It misunderstands the true nature of reality, and is ultimately self-defeating. I believe, for example, that we make this mistake all the time in international politics. Prioritising individual countries, or groups of countries, over the common good, is a catastrophic error. It leads to the devastation of war and prevents us from addressing the true challenges that all of humankind a node in natures network faces as a whole.

Carlo Rovelli is a professor of physics. To support the Guardian and the Observer buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution by Carlo Rovelli (Allen Lane, 9.34)

The World According to Physics by Jim Al-Khalili (Princeton, 12.99)

Theaetetus & Sophist by Plato (Cambridge, 17.99)

Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning by Karen Barad (Duke, 23.99)

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The big idea: why relationships are the key to existence - The Guardian

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