Category Archives: Moon Colonization

It's the year 3000. Having used up all of Earth's natural resources, humans have become a spacefaring race and established colonies on the moon. Vast, sealed domes cluster across its surface, housing cities populated by hundreds of thousands of people. This cold, gray rock has somehow become humanity's new home.

Of course, this is pure science fiction. But no vision of the future is complete without an extraterrestrial colony of humans, and since the moon is the closest celestial body to our planet, it's the easiest to imagine as our futuristic home.

But does this vision align with reality? Will the moon one day be a hot property, and if so, how many people could its unwelcoming landscape realistically support?

Related: Why Is It So Hard to Land on the Moon?

One way to answer that question, simplistically, is to consider the area of the moon. The moon's surface area is about 15.9% of Earth's overall land area (excluding the area of Earth covered by oceans). Technically, if we packed this areaat the density of Earth's most populous cities (opens in new tab), we'd be able to fit trillions on the moon's surface.

But how many people could fit on the moon's surface is a very different question than how many people that world could sustainably support. And in that regard, the moon is definitely Earth's poorer cousin.

"It's a pretty barren place," said Darby Dyar, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona and a professor of astronomy at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. "Every species seeks to expand its ecological niche. But the new 'niche,' which is the moon, is very inhospitable for humans," Dyar told Live Science.

Unlike on Earth, water doesn't rain down freely on the lunar surface and collect into bodies we could drink from. Crucially, the moon also lacks an atmosphere with breathable air. Neither does Earth's natural satellite have existing ecosystems that could conveniently support fields of agriculture. The moon is also vulnerable to solar storms, eruptions from the sun's surface that send out electromagnetic radiation, which the moon without the protection of a magnetic field can't deflect. There are also huge temperature extremes, and long, alternating periods of darkness and light, Dyar said.

All this may make life on the moon seem impossible. Yet surprisingly, it isn't. In fact, the essentials for human existence air, water, food and shelter theoretically aren't as unattainable on the moon as you might expect.

Related: Why Does the Moon Keep Flashing Us?

Take air. To support a starting population of a few hundred people on the moon, we'd have to start by transporting air to the lunar surface, pumping it into sealed structures in which humans would live. That seems unsustainable, but in the short term, it would actually be fairly cost-effective, said Markus Landgraf, the moon project manager with the European Space Agency. "People don't use much air, and for a long time, we will not need to make the air on the moon. We can bring it in," he said. "Transportation costs for that are still manageable."

If that population grew to tens of thousands, however, we'd need to synthesize oxygen on the moon, an expensive process. But Landgraf said the growth of space exploration in the coming decades could make the process more economical.

That's because propelling spacecraft requires oxygen, so if the demand goes up, "it makes more economic sense to build oxygen generators on the moon for rocket propellant, rather than for drinking water and air for people," Landgraf said. That would drive down the production cost, making it cheaper to produce air for moon dwellers.

What about water? Until a few decades ago, researchers believed the moon was completely dry. But now they know there's a surprising amount of liquid spread across the lunar surface.

"We think water is left over from when the moon formed. And we know that comets, which are basically dirty snowballs, periodically impact the moon's surface," Dyar said. "There's good evidence to suggest that those [craters] where comets impacted the surface still have ice reservoirs in them."

Another water source, she said, comes in the solar winds that roar across space; charged with protons, these collide with electrons on the moon, forming hydrogen.

All this adds up to a decent amount of lunar water, perhaps enough to support a sizable population. And we've already developed technologies on the International Space Station to recycle drinkable water from astronaut's shower water, urine and sweat. This can even use the moisture from their breath. On the moon, that technology could create a closed-loop water source for inhabitants.

But even with recycling, Dyar said, those water reserves wouldn't be infinite; recycling water over and over again does come with some loss, so reserves would need to be topped up once in a while. What's more, extracting the moon's water by crushing lunar rocks and dredging up ice from deep craters, would require huge, costly amounts of energy, Dyar pointed out.

"My personal feeling is that colonization of the moon is going to depend on us bringing hydrogen there," she said. Transporting that would be costly, too: around $220,000 per kilogram, Landgraf said.

Related: Does Anyone Really Think the Moon Landing Was Faked?

Without knowing how much water is currently on the moon's surface, it's also difficult to estimate how many people it could support. But we do at least know that it's possibly enough to provide a relatively sustainable water source. In any case, Landgraf estimated that lunar pioneers wouldn't need to tap the moon's water resources for at least the first five to 10 years of settlement; it will be cheap enough to transport water up there and recycle it for the dozen or so humans who are first likely to call moon their home.

As for lunar agriculture, we could mimic Earth's growing conditions with "almost-ecosystem-like closed domes," Landgraf said. Nurtured by long bouts of sunlight and showered with recycled water, lunar agriculture could feasibly scale up to feed thousands. There's already plenty of research to suggest that growing crops in space will work.

There are still multiple unknowns about how we'd do all this in practice. But theoretically, natural resources could support tens of thousands, even millions, of people on the moon. So then, why aren't there already hundreds of us up there, gazing down at Earth?

Because the biggest constraints to colonizing the moon aren't necessarily limits to natural resources, Landgraf said, but the huge cost of transporting people up there by spacecraft. Doing it more economically would require bold technological leaps like the invention of space elevators. If we had those, "then we're talking about tens of thousands of people on the moon," Landgraf said. "So, really, water isn't the constraint here. It's transportation."

There's another caveat, and this is where we return sharply to reality: For now, colonizing the moon isn't actually the goal. Sure, we could view the moon as a kind of Noah's ark in the event of an earthly apocalypse. But currently, international space agencies see the moon not as an outpost from disaster, but as a research hub and a potential base from which to explore the rest of our solar system.

Related: Who Owns the Moon?

With that approach, Langraf said we could look to Antarctica for clues about human habitation. Probably the most lunar-like habitat on Earth, the Antarctic is home to fluctuating, seasonal population of between one and four thousand researchers who battle freezing, dry conditions to do their work. Since research currently drives planning on lunar habitation, that gives us an idea of how many people might realistically live on the moon in coming decades: a few thousand at a time, rather than millions or billions.

Even this population would probably taper off, replaced by cheaper, more efficient robots over time, according to Dyar. "As technology gets better, there's very little reason why you really need to send a human to do scientific research," she said.

However, that doesn't mean our dreams of lunar citizenship are over. There's one other factor: humanity's unquenchable drive to explore. That could compel future generations to colonize the moon in the millions or use it as a launching pad for other expeditions into space.

"Humans are one of the few species that are always exploring, even if there's no need," Landgraf said. "[We've] been very successful with this strategy. Would it make sense to change that? I don't think so."

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct a statement about the area of moon compared with the area of Earth, which had not specified it meant the area of Earth that is not covered by oceans.

Originally published on Live Science.

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How Many Humans Could the Moon Support? | Live Science

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Photo: pixabay.comNASA has announced the date of sending the unmanned spacecraft Orion to the Moon

NASA announced that the first unmanned flight of the Orion spacecraft to the Moon, planned as part of the Artemis program (Artemis), will take place in August 2022. This was announced by the head of the US space agency, Bill Nelson, during a hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Budget Appropriations, Interfax writes.

At the moment I'd say August. As part of a mission lasting about thirty days, all systems for unmanned flights will be tested & # 187;, & # 8212; he answered a question from a member of the commission about the launch of the mission.

It is noted that before launch, the launch vehicle must successfully pass a bench test. At the same time, specialists will simulate the procedures that will be necessary for a successful launch, check the operation of systems, interfaces and software.

It is known that on March 18 this year, a 98-meter SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft was taken out of vertical assembly shop to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. But the test has not yet taken place due to a number of technical problems.

As part of the Artemis 1 Orion mission, it will head towards the Moon and stay in its orbit for several weeks. After that, he will return to Earth. The descent capsule will splash down in the Atlantic.

As part of the Artemis 2 mission, a crew of four astronauts will go to the Moon. This flight is scheduled for 2024. Then Orion should fly around the natural satellite of the Earth and also splash down in the Atlantic.

As part of the Artemis 3 mission, American astronauts are scheduled to land on the moon.

Note that the Artemis program became known to the public in September 2020 . Her goal is the return of American astronauts to the lunar surface in 2025, as it was 50 years ago, as well as the construction of a near-lunar station and preparation of conditions for the possible colonization of the Moon.

Recall that the agreement on participation in the Artemis program was signed on October 15, 2020 8 countries USA, UK, Italy, Canada, Australia, Japan, United Arab Emirates and Luxembourg. Ukraine has also joined the program.

Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@timeshub.in

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NASA has announced the date of sending the unmanned spacecraft Orion to the Moon - The Times Hub

Yoon may have intended that trip to set the first button for smoother future relations, but two 2018 South Korean Supreme Court decisions suggest that the problem goes back to 1965. Those verdicts directly challenged Japans interpretation of the 1965 Claims Agreement, the foundation for post-war Japan-South Korea relations. How the two countries resolve this fundamental issue will impact not only the future of bilateral relations but also the success of the United States Indo-Pacific strategy. The potential ways forward, however, appear bleak without an extraordinary shift in position from Tokyo, Seoul, or both. President Joe Bidens trip to the region in late May presents an important opportunity for Washington to nudge its allies toward a resolution.

In 1997, two South Korean plaintiffs filed suit in Japan against Nippon Steel Corporation for forced labor that occurred during World War II when Japan ruled over Korea. They argued that they were recruited under false advertisement, were not paid their due wages and were subjected to unsafe working conditions. The lower court dismissed the suit in 2001, and the Japanese Supreme Court denied the final appeal in 2003. The courts held that, while the company (described here as Old Nippon Steel, later reorganized into Nippon Steel) mistreated the plaintiffs as they described, Nippon Steel did not carry Old Nippon Steels liability. The courts added that, in any case, the plaintiffs claims were extinguished by the 1965 Claims Agreement. The plaintiffs later pressed the same claims in South Korea, where lower courts in 2009 also dismissed the suit, citing the Japanese rulings and the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Since 2001, the Japanese government has reiterated its courts argument regarding the victims claims. The government asserts that under Article I of the Claims Agreement, Japan was required to provide South Korea with $300 million in grants and $200 million in loans, and that under Article II, the problem concerning property, rights and interests as well as claims between the two countries and their nationals were settled completely and finally and no contention could be made regarding those claims. Some scholars have noted that the scope of these claims also encompassed the eight items explicitly raised by South Korea during the Claims Agreement negotiations, one of which related to amounts receivable, compensation, and other rights of claim of drafted South Korean workers.

However, the 2005 release by then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyuns administration of the Claims Agreement negotiation records led to a different interpretation. A private-public commissions review of the records found that the agreement was not primarily intended to address reparations for Japanese colonial rule, but rather to settle the financial and civil claims and debt relations between the two countries pursuant to Article IV of the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty. In other words, unlike Japans treaties with other countries like Indonesia, China and Myanmar after World War II, which used the word reparations to address the damage and suffering caused by Japan, the Claims Agreement was silent on any wrongdoing and, therefore, meant only to address the settlement of credit and debt relations, such as insurance and deposits. The commission added that, because the Japanese government refused to recognize any legal obligation to provide reparations for forced labor, the Korean government pursued political compensation based on the historical fact of losses from affliction.

Commentators have explained that the two governments at the time negotiated the Claims Agreement to be ambiguous on key issues including how to characterize Japans colonization of Korea (legal versus illegal), which claims were being settled (government versus individual claims, torts against humanity) and what the money was for (economic assistance versus reparations) so that the two sides could normalize relations, secure economic benefits and go back to their people and tell two different stories. The commission also underscored that the South Korean government had a moral responsibility to use a considerable portion of the Japanese funds it received from the agreement to compensate the forced labor victims, but that the compensation payments made between 1975 and 1977 were inadequate. This finding led the Roh administration to enact additional compensation legislation in 2007.

The reassessment of the 1965 agreement ultimately led to a major shift in South Korean court decisions. In landmark rulings in May 2012, the South Korean Supreme Court decided that the individual claims against Nippon Steel Corporation (and the claims of another group of plaintiffs against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) were not extinguished by the agreement. Underscoring that Japans colonization of Korea was illegal, the court rejected the lower courts deference to Japanese verdicts because it would violate South Koreas constitution. The court also drew on the commissions findings to hold that the agreements failure to acknowledge the illegality of Japanese colonialism meant that it was merely a political agreement to settle economic and debt relations between the two countries, rather than compensation for Japans illegal occupation. Lastly, the court held that the statute of limitations for raising claims had not expired due to legal obstacles that prevented the plaintiffs from exercising their right to raise claims. After the cases were remanded, the lower courts ordered the two Japanese companies to compensate the South Korean plaintiffs.

In late 2018, the South Korean Supreme Court affirmed the damages awards and reaffirmed its previous ruling that the agreement did not extinguish individuals claims for reparations. The court stated that Article I, which described the Japanese governments payment, said nothing about the specific purpose of the payment other than being conducive to the economic development of the Republic of Korea, and had no relation to the claims described under Article II. Even Japans position at the time, the court noted, was that the payment was only for economic assistance and not reparations. Most importantly, the court characterized the plaintiffs claims as seeking compensation for emotional suffering caused by the Japanese corporations unlawful acts rather than for lost wages to ensure that the claims fell out of the agreements scope concerning property, rights and interests. Using this logic, some scholars have also argued that the eight items raised by South Korean negotiators in 1965 also did not include mental harm.

The 2018 court decision quickly created a fissure in bilateral ties. In July 2019, Tokyo imposed tighter export controls on chemicals used by South Korean manufacturers to produce semiconductors and removed South Korea from its white list of preferred trading partners. Although Japan attributed this move to security concerns based on South Koreas inadequate management of the chemicals, then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admitted that the 2018 court decision was the primary reason. South Korea countered with its own measures, including dropping Japan from its white list, initiating dispute resolution proceedings at the World Trade Organization over the export controls and threatening termination of the bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement.

Since then, South Korean lower courts have muddied the waters by producing contradictory rulings (legal precedents are not binding in South Koreas civil law judicial system). In three cases last year, the Seoul Central District Court decided against South Korean laborers. That same year, however, district courts in Daejeon and Daegu approved the sale of Mitsubishi and Nippon Steel assets to allow South Korean victims to collect. In April 2022, the Daejeon District Court ordered the sale of a Mitsubishi patent to compensate a forced labor victim. With the South Korean Supreme Courts dismissals of Mitsubishis appeals in the first Daejeon case in September and December 2021 and the likelihood that the Seoul Central District Courts decisions will be reversed based on the 2018 decision, the Japanese side appears to be running out of legal recourses.

There are several potential paths forward regarding the forced labor claims, though none are encouraging. The Japanese companies have already rejected the first option of abiding by the South Korean Supreme Courts decisions and compensating the victims. With many similar lawsuits pending in South Korea, complying with the courts decisions could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in additional liabilities for Japanese companies. More important, this move would be tantamount to admitting that Japans colonization of Korea was illegal.

A second path would uphold Japans position but require a political, legislative or judicial act by South Korea that undermines or supersedes its supreme courts rulings. This type of move is possible but would be unpopular in South Korea and kick the victims rights can down the road. In addition, if a judicial act is perceived as politically driven for example, former South Korean Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested in 2019 on charges of delaying a final verdict on the laborer cases it could diminish the integrity of South Koreas judicial independence.

In 2019, then-South Korean President Moon Jae-ins government sought a third path that could satisfy Japans concerns while also not undermining the 2018 court rulings. It proposed establishing a joint fund managed by the two governments using voluntary contributions from South Korean and Japanese companies to compensate the victims. This fund would resemble the mechanism that Germany, amid a wave of lawsuits in U.S. courts against German companies, devised in 2000 to compensate former Nazi-era forced laborers. Japan rejected Moons proposal arguing that all claims had already been settled. It also felt chagrined by Moons dismantling of a similar fund created in 2015 to address the concerns of Korean comfort women women who were forced to work in brothels run by the Japanese military before and during World War II. The Yoon administration could also propose a joint fund, but it will need to ensure the Japanese governments buy-in and that victims concerns are addressed.

A fourth potential path is arbitration. Article III of the Claims Agreement calls for any disputes that cannot be settled through diplomatic channels to be referred to an arbitration board. Japan initially sought arbitration in 2019, but South Korea demurred as it tried to exhaust diplomatic solutions that would address the victims claims with greater certainty. Today, with no diplomatic solution in sight, the two sides could still choose to pursue arbitration as a legally binding option. However, the risk of a negative ruling remains for both sides. Another legal recourse would be to pursue a decision by the International Court of Justice, but South Korea would first need to accept the courts jurisdiction.

The most controversial, and least likely, option would be to revise the Claims Agreement. This path would be a nonstarter for Japan, and perhaps South Korea as well, but it could offer potential benefits. Rather than cede control of the agreements interpretation to arbitration boards or domestic judicial systems, this approach would afford both governments equal agency and responsibility to directly confront and resolve the 1965 agreements fundamental flaws for some, ensuring that the bilateral relationships first button finally finds its correct place.

Absent any of the five measures above, the situation will worsen. South Korean courts will allow Japanese companies assets to be seized and liquidated; the Japanese government will retaliate, prompting South Korean countermeasures; bilateral tensions will fester; and the Northeast Asian link in the latticework of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy will grow weaker.

U.S. leadership can help avoid this outcome. Strengthening U.S. alliances in the region is one of the Biden administrations highest foreign policy priorities. Washington will want to avoid the appearance of meddling or favoritism, but the history of South Korea-Japan relations shows that the United States has always weighed in discreetly, and sometimes openly, with considerable influence. In 2014, then U.S. President Barack Obama called the comfort women tragedy a terrible, egregious violation of human rights and encouraged Japan to recognize the past honestly and fairly. The current environment may be amenable to similar prodding since both Yoon and Kishida will be more flexible on this issue than their predecessors.

When Biden meets the two leaders, improving South Korea-Japan relations must be one of the top agenda items. The fund proposal may be the best option because it allows both governments to influence the outcome and, if designed well, the victims concerns to be settled. A sustainable solution requires addressing the victims claims and grievances in a fundamental and comprehensive way.

Sang-ok Park is a former justice on the South Korean Supreme Court.

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South Korea and Japan Need to Reset Relations. Can the United States Help? - United States Institute of Peace

Thanks to Magee for this suggestion.

History - Detonating a thermonuclear weapon on the moon? It sounds like the bizarro scheme of a deranged comic-book villainnot a project initiated inside the U.S. government.

But in 1958, as the Cold Warspace racewas heating up, the U.S. Air Force launched just such an endeavor. Called Project A119, it harnessed the talents of some of Americas top scientists.

How could this happen?

Blame Sputnik, the beach-ball-sized satellite slung into space by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, which jolted U.S. officials and citizens alike into a state of high alert. As the two Cold War superpowers duked it out for postwar world dominanceframed by many as a titanic struggle between freedom and tyrannythe prospect of Americas arch-enemy gaining any measure of military-industrial advantage seemed chilling indeed.

So the United States needed to reclaim the narrative and prove to the world that it hadnt lost the space race before it had even begun. Americans needed a reassuring sign that the Communists didnt have a permanent upper handand that Sputnik wouldnt soon be followed by Soviet nuclear missiles raining down onto U.S. soil.

America needed to show the world it was squarely in the race. And it needed something biglike nuking the moon. Never mind that the project had no practical purpose, no discernible national-security goals and its sole design was to show the world that the U.S.A. could do something ambitiously spectacular.

Sometime before May 1958, the U.S. Air Force asked the ARF team to investigate something truly out of the ordinary: the visibility and effects of a hypothetical nuclear explosion on the moon. The Air Force wanted to surprise the Soviets and the world: Hey, look at what we can do. We can blow the hell out of the moon.

But it wasnt just fear that inspired physicists, chemists, biologists, astrophysicists and others to join university laboratories, private industries or government institutions working on aerospace and defense research. Many of these scientists were patriots. Some were WWII refugees who had seen tyranny firsthandand barely escaped it. They, too, believed in what they were doing. The Cold War was a fight to the deathor at least for the future of the free world. These men and women had a skill set that was integral to national, and potentially global, security.

The program was ultimately scrappedbut the final reason is still unclear. All we have is speculation from multiple (knowledgeable) sources. Some say the Air Force canceled the program because of the potential danger to people on earth (in case the mission catastrophically failed the way so many of the early U.S. attempts at spaceflight sadlyand sometimes humorouslydid). Others say the scientists were concerned about contaminating the moon with radioactive material, preventing any future mission to land a man on the surface (or even lunar colonization). Or it could be that the mission was scrapped out of a worry that the best-laid P.R. plans of the Air Force would be thwarted when the public saw this as an abhorrent defacement of the moons beauty instead of a demonstration of American scientific prowess.

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Watch This When You're High - Why The Air Force Almost Blasted The Moon With An H Bomb - Barstool Sports

After the success of "Star Wars," everyone was looking for the next big sci-fi blockbuster, and the Walt Disney Company was no exception. Nearly 35 years before they'd simply buy the whole enterprise, Disney tried their hand at their own outer space adventure, and the result was the 1979 adventure "Black Hole." Starring Maximillian Schell, Joseph Bottoms, Anthony Perkins, and Robert Forster, the movie follows the crew of the USS Palomino, on a deep space exploratory mission when they encounter an older starship, the USS Cygnus, thought lost 20 years before.

Now orbiting a black hole, they find one man aboard:Dr. Reinhardt, one of Earth's most brilliant minds, who says he's the last man alive after the ship became damaged. Along with a crew of human-like robot drones he claims to have built himself, he has continued to study the titular black hole. But while exploring the Cygnus, the crew of the Palomino realizes that Reinhardt is hiding something, and there's more to his robot army than meets the eye. A surprisingly disturbing sci-fi adventure for a Disney picture, never became as well known as "Star Wars," nor did it ever become it spawn a franchise, but thanks to its impressive special effects and intriguing story it has since become a cult classic.

Read more:
30 Most Underrated Space Movies You Need To Watch - Looper

A new study says that growing plants on the Moon is possible. But it causes a massive amount of stress on the plants. The researchers published their findings in Communications Biology. Its the first study to show success at growing plants in lunar soil returned from the Apollo missions all those years ago.

Because of the level of stress that the plants experience, scientists say farming on the Moon isnt happening anytime soon.

One of NASAs biggest pushes right now is to put humans back on the Moon. The space agency is already working with some companies to create new lunar rovers, and it is already sending a spacecraft around the Moon later this year.

But, if we ever want to progress to the point of living on the Moon, we have to be able to provide for the people who live there.

This is why scientists have spent countless hours, days, and even years trying to grow plants in lunar soil. But now that weve proven that plants can grow on the Moon, we have to tackle another difficult issue. Making that growth easier on the plants.

It might sound silly to worry about how much stress a plant is taking on. But, its actually a very serious issue. Even when talking about potted plants in your home, there are ways you can stress them out. This stress can then lead to weaker growth and other issues with the plant. If were going to use terrestrial life to help generate life support and food on the Moon, we need to get those stress levels down.

Still, even taking this first step is absolutely astounding. The soil on the Moon is nothing like the soil that you can find on Earth. Its sharper, more abrasive, and doesnt contain any organic elements.

Further, there are certain chemical states in lunar soil that you just wont find in our own planets soils. And that doesnt even cover the weak atmosphere and radiation that constantly bombards our Moon.

So yes, while it does seem possible to grow plants on the Moon, theres still a lot of legwork to do before we send our favorite plants to occupy the lunar surface. The researchers say that the plants grew, but they didnt do fantastically well. There were signs of low volume, slow growth, and even some discoloration. All of which are signs that the plant is extremely stressed.

So, before we go planting things on the Moon, were going to need to do more research. Especially if we want to be able to grow plants in locally sourced soils. Otherwise, well need to find ways to move thousands and thousands of pounds of Earths soil to the lunar surface. Which would be costly and time-consuming.

But growing plants on the Moon is a noble idea and one that just makes sense in the grand scheme. Plants provide oxygen, which could be used to help create atmospheres that are breathable within lunar colonies. Further, plants can provide food for astronauts and colonists living on the Moon.

This would help cut down on expenditures of bringing food and oxygen from Earth to those lunar colonies.

Still, were a long way off. This new research is a huge step in the right direction, no doubt. And it will be intriguing to see where scientists take these attempts next. Perhaps, if were lucky enough, theyll find a way to reliably grow plants on the Moon without overstressing the plants sometime in the future. If not, space colonization is going to be a terribly expensive endeavor.

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Researchers found a new roadblock in the quest to inhabit the Moon - BGR

Get ready for your horoscope to change its scope.

For centuries, human beings have searched the stars to help them navigate the earth and understand themselves. Ancient Babylonians were among the first to record the constellations along the ecliptic, the path the sun appears to make through the sky.

These OG astrologers recognized that different constellations would rise from the horizon line at sundown during different times of year.

The Babylonians, who already had a 12 month calendar based on the phases of the moon, assigned a constellation to each month. They applied myths, based on earlier Sumerian beliefs to these constellations and thus the zodiac wheel was born. Scholarship is divisive but it is generally understood that Egyptians refined the zodiac, and the Greeks cast it into the form we recognize today. The Greeks also gave it a proper name, zodiac is derived from the Greek for circle of animals. These oracle heeding, robe loving folk borrowed myths from earlier iterations and added some of their own gods and heroes for good measure. Later, the Romans in their eternal imperialism, replaced the Greek names with Latin.

Astrologers use two primary zodiac systems to divine meaning from the cosmos; sidereal and tropical. In both tropical and sidereal systems, the zodiac wheel is divided into twelve signs. The primary difference between the two systems is where those signs are placed in the sky. The sidereal system is based on the current position of the constellations while the tropical system is based on where the stars were around 0 AD. In essence, the dates of the sidereal zodiac change over time and the dates of the tropical zodiac do not.

There was a time when the two systems aligned but they diverged around the year 285 AD; coincidentally, this was also the year that the Roman empire split into two factions and began its fated decline. From that point, due to conquest and colonization, and as well explore a bit later, aversion to math, tropical astrology became the predominant system in the Western world. Sidereal meanwhile remained, and remains the governing system of Vedic astrology. Read more about Vedic astrology here.

We can thank the mathematician Ptolemy for the static positioning of the tropical zodiac. He suggested that the vernal equinox, and thus the start of the zodiac be set at 0 degrees ofthe Aries constellation each year to ensure continuity between zodiac signs and the progression of seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.

Sidereal astrology, by comparison, is a touch more technical. Just as time marches on, children age and cities fall, so to do stars shift. Sidereal astrology recognizes that the earth sits on a skewed axis that contributes to the ever changing distances between earth and the constellations above, a movement know as the procession of the equinoxes which sounds like but is in fact not, the title of a George R.R. Martin book.

To account for this procession, sidereal employs a corrective system of equations or ayanamsas to more precisely determine the current position of each zodiac sign. Part of the reason the tropical system is predominant is because humans are lazy and math is hard. The most widely used of these equations is the Lahiri ayanamsa. Under this corrective, the Sidereal Zodiac recognizes an apparent backward movement of fixed stars of about 1 degree every 72 years. Meaning there is a 24 degree gap between the tropical and sidereal systems, making them roughly an entire zodiac sign apart.

Given the degree of discrepancy between tropical and sidereal systems, an individuals birth chart will vary according to which system is applied. While the dates of the respective zodiac signs are differ between systems, their qualities and influence are much the same. You can find your sidereal sign and birth chart using an online sidereal calculator like this.

Another important discrepancy between tropical and sidereal astrology is planetary rulership and influence. Unlike tropical astrology, sidereal astrology does not acknowledge the influence of Uranus, Neptune or Pluto on the individual or the individuals birth chart.These outer planets are not visible to the naked eye and their distance from earth lessens their effect of life on it.

Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars

The validity of sidereal versus tropical is a subject of hot debate and as with all things, a matter of preference and resonance. The tropical system is not a true reflection of the present sky and its allegiance to seasons is fraught because they are inverted between the Northern and Southern hemisphere. In terms of sidereal astrology, even with calculated adjustments, the constellations do not line up exactly with their corresponding signs and thus the starting point of the zodiac is itself matter of constant contention.

At its most essential astrology is about observation, recognizing patterns and seeking understanding. As Morris Jastow writes of the Babylonians, The theory upon which astrology rests is the assumption of a coordination between occurrences on earth and phenomena observed in the heavens Astrology makes no attempt to turn the gods away from their purpose, but merely to determine a little in advance what they propose, so as to be prepared for coming events. Whether you believe in one god or many or bow simply to the god that you are, astrology offers yet another reason to stare up and look ever forward.

AstrologerReda Wigleresearches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a girls guide to strip clubs and the weirdest foods available abroad.

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What is sidereal astrology: everything to know about the alternative zodiac - New York Post

Professor Everett Carl Dolman of the US Air Forces Air Command and Staff College extended Halford Mackinders classic Heartland Theory of 1904 to space in Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in the Space Age (Routledge, 2001). He claims that space is a rich vision of gravitational mountains and valleys, oceans and rivers of resources and energy, rather than being featureless.

Dolman divided space into four territories: (1) Terra, which encompassed the entire earth and extended up to the limit of a spacecrafts ability to orbit without being powered, (2) Earth Space, which included the GEO, (3) Lunar Space, which included the lunar orbit, and (4) Unlimited Solar Space, which included everything beyond the lunar orbit.

In Mackinders Theory, Heartland was a region around the then Russian Empire. Mackinder postulated that whoever controls East Europe controls the Heartland and whoever controls the Heartland controls the world. Dolmans version was that whoever controls LEO controls the near-Earth space; whoever controls the near-Earth space controls the Terra and whoever dominates Terra determines the destiny of mankind.

Realism, one of the oldest theories of international relations, believes that in the international system, states aim to increase their own power, especially in military terms, in relation to their rivals.

Throughout history, certain specific geographical features of the world have been arenas for intense competition between rival states because of their inherent commercial, military and political advantages.

According to the modern version of realism, or neorealism, the international system is anarchical, implying that there is no central authority. While cooperation between states is unlikely, an alliance or coalition between states is a possibility which in turn may trigger the formation of counter-alliances in order to balance the power of other entities in the system. Dolman believes that the state that dominates space is specifically chosen by the rigours of competition as the politically and morally superior nation, culture, and economy, obviously meaning the USA.

The 19th century American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahans concept of oceanic chokepoints which are crucial to the maritime trade routes are examples of such features ~ and such chokepoints like Gibraltar, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez etc. remain as crucial today to maritime powers as they were in Mahans time.

Drawing upon Mahans analogy, Dolman also characterised space as offering orbits, regions and launch points of geo-strategic significance, suggest- ing that similar space choke- points or traffic corridors will develop in space due to the efficiency costs of rocket propulsion to earth orbits leveraging the gravity of the earth. Just like the establishment of naval bases on earth to facilitate control of maritime trade, Dolman advocates the creation of space bases for stock-piling of fuel and life-support supplies for further exploration and commercial exploitation of space. A state that succeeds in gaining control of the space chokepoints and such way-stations on space routes can expect to gain significant advantages over other states; a state that controls such corridors can ensure for itself domination of space commerce and, ultimately, terrestrial politics.

As Tim Marshal corroborates in his book, in the previous centuries, dominance on earth was decided by controlling the sea routes. Airpower was added in the last century and in this century, it would likely be space power, for which the ability to place military assets in space ~, especially in the LEO ~ will become the determining factor. LEO is also the area where any spacecraft travelling to the Moon and beyond can be refuelled and resupplied, and refuelling will be a necessity if distant planets like Mars or asteroidsare to be explored for energy and mineral resources. Hence whoever controls this corridor will become a gatekeeper to the outer space beyond and can prevent a rival from refuelling within it. It is just like what is happening currently on earth in the Ukraine War ~ Turkey, a Nato member which is the gatekeeper to the Black Sea, has restricted Russian warships to sail from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait.

LEO also assumes significance, as Marshal points out, for commercial considerations. A technology to deflect solar energy upon the earth for power generation using a vast array of solar reflectors will likely be placed on the LEO. Given this is also where spaceships would need refuelling, a gatekeeper can easily charge a fee to allow any space- ship to travel beyond for mining or exploration purposes. Just like on earth, space also can become an arena for intense competition. Five points denoted as L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5, known as the Lagranges Points, surround the earth where the gravitational forces of the sun and the earth cancel each other out, giving stability to a spacecraft placed therein while requiring minimal energy to keep it there.

Two of these points allow commanding views of the belts containing satellites and one in particular, L2, where the giant James Webb Space Telescope was positioned last year, is directly behind the earth in the line joining the sun and the earth. This is also where China has placed a satellite recently, allowing it to view the dark side of the moon where it is also contemplating establishing a military base. All these points will become objects of intense competition for the strategic advantages they confer. All the past efforts for disarmament of space through international consensus have so far met with failure. In 2008, China and Russia had together submitted a draft treaty called the Prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space and of the threat or use of force against outer space objects (PPWT) to the Conference on Disarmament, but the USA rejected it, as it did again in 2014 when a revised draft of the PPWT was submitted by Russia and China, on the pretext that since there was no arms race in space at the moment, there was no need for an arms control treaty. Since the USA possesses space technology superior to other nations, it will be unlikely to agree to any similar treaty. In any case, the issue is far too complex to be addressed through treaties.

Only a global governance system ~ akin to what the world is trying to achieve for climate ~ entrusted and empowered with the mandate of restoring and preserving space as a global common can provide a sustainable model for making and keeping space weapons-free, because, just like the environment, how a nation uses space affects all other nations on earth. In Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity (Oxford, 2020), American political scientist Daniel Deudney examined the effects of humanitys space expansionism for colonization, military and planetary security purposes.

Contrary to the widely-held belief that space expansion is necessary for the survival of humanity from mega-disasters on earth and to meet the demands for far higher energy in future, Deudney warned against the risk of space expansion, stressing rather upon cooperative space ventures which alone can bring far-reaching security benefits by defusing conflict situations and providing safeguards against the degeneration of international relations. He cited the examples of such cooperation in respect of projects such as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) and the International Space Station (ISS). In fact, activities in space to ensure a better future for the earth will necessarily call for cooperation between space powers, whether for building large-scale orbital infrastructures, or for developing capabilities to monitor the movements of, and if necessary to deflect or destroy, asteroids, or for establishing lunar or planetary bases for manned missions to Mars or other planets in future, as a single nation will always be constrained by the demands for enormous resources and capacity necessary of such endeavours.

But for such cooperation to materialise, mutually restraining arms control in space will be a prerequisite, like restraints on testing and deployment of ASATs, creating international organisations with treaty-verification capacities and test bans in space to restrict weapons innovation. Deudney also believes that space weaponization will lead to a hierarchical world order that may ultimately degenerate into totalitarian oppression, the possibility of which cannot be ruled out given the potential for extensive surveillance capabilities likely to be developed when states compete for supremacy on earth through space-based monitoring and surveillance systems.

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space based weapons - BollyInside

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! You know what that means: an AAPIHM reading list. (NB: These are books that should be read/savored/returned to all year long.) I have asked a few trusty independent booksellers to recommend their favorite books by AAPI writers. They did not disappoint. Big love for the good people at Yu & Me Books (NY), Book Club Bar (NY), Loyalty (MD and DC), Wild Geese Bookshop (IN), Green Apple Books (CA), and Books Are Magic (NY) for this stellar reading list that spans time, continent, genre, and language of origin.

Although the past few years have not been easyparticularly for our communityits heartening to see the incredible work that folks are churning out. In some ways, this list is a testament to our resilience.

*

Stephanie Foo, What My Bones Know

This continues to be my favorite book of the year. The prose, laughter, honesty, and research it took to write this beautiful memoir has continued to stick with me long after I finished the book. I will sometimes take the subway or walk around and randomly think of passages I read. It has helped me gain a better understanding with the women in my family throughout the generations and has given me the space to accept myself. Its an incredible non-linear and realistic way to showcase grief, loss, and self love. It will continue to be one of my favorite books of all time!

Lucy Yu, Yu & Me Books

Daphne Palasi Andreades, Brown Girls

In her debut novel, Brown Girls, Daphne Palasi Andreades delivers a series of blue-flame vignettes told by the daughters of Queens immigrants who sing the borough electric. From the opening sentence, Andreades masterfully utilizes the inclusive, first-person plural form we, a distinct ensemble of voices that create an intimate portrait of the girls households and classrooms, their friendships and relationships, their hopes and dreams.

Most impressive is how vividly Andreades depicts the overwhelming pressures (and excitement) of girlhoodbrown girlhood, that is. As the characters come of age, they take the reader on an exhilarating ride through the dregs of Queens, where they are bound together via an endless patchwork of diverse backgrounds, stories and senses-rich experiences. A native of Queens and child of Filipino parents myself, Andreades beautifully underscores the nuances of first-generation immigrant life. Not only is Brown Girls a book that is rare and special: its urgent.

Alessandro Romero, Book Club Bar

Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn, A Fish Growing Lungs

Can you feel like you still know your true self after seven years of taking a pharmacopeias worth of pills for a condition you never even had? Alysia Li Ying Sawchyns readable collection of essays, A Fish Growing Lungs, synthesizes how we think about medicine, addiction, therapy, and judgmental bookstore shoppers. In Sawchyns hands, the heavy subject matter never veers bleak (often due to the playful formatting and arrangement of the essays themselves).

Grounded like hopeful seedlings, Sawchyn details her surroundings nimbly: her sections devoted to Florida fully capture the schismatic reality of living somewhere at once so idyllic and purgatorial, and her reverence for Tampas only gay/goth/industrial/medieval nightclub will have you yearning for release on the dance floor. Brave, brief, and singular in its honesty, Sawchyns A Fish Growing Lungs is an optimistic exploration on the search for authenticity in unlikely circumstances and unexpected places.

Mathuson Anthony, Book Club Bar

Monique Truong, The Book of Salt

Monique Truongs The Book of Salt is one of those novels Ive been selling since long before I became a booksellerit is perfect for readers of historical fiction, for foodies, for fans of Paris and the Lost Generation, for those interested in queer narratives and post-colonial immigrant stories alike. The novel is narrated by Bnh, a Vietnamese emigre to Paris who works as a live-in cook to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas at their famed house on 27 rue de Fleurus. (Though the pair did have a Vietnamese cook for a time, little is known about him, and Truong brings the mystery of who he might have been fully to life with achingly beautiful prose.)

We meet Bnh in 1934, as he accompanies Stein and Toklas to the ship that will return the pair to America, and the entire storyfrom Bnhs history as the shy youngest son of a devout Catholic Vietnamese family, disgraced and cast out after his love affair with another man is discovered, to his time as a cook abroad freighter ships, to his work in various kitchens across Paris before finding a permanent position, and a kind of home, with Stein and Toklasunfolds during this journey. Truong is a genius at crafting precise sensory detail, and The Book of Salt is evocative and visceral and heart-breaking in all the best ways.

Liv Stratman, Book Club Bar

Kim Fu, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century

Kim Fus Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century is a delightfully weird and wonderful short story collection. With elements of sci-fi, horror, and magical realism, these stories exist in that state of lucid dreaming, where the distinction between fantasy and reality doesnt quite make sense. Or, as the narrator in Liddy, First to Fly says, The realm of pretend had only just closed its doors to us, and light still leaked through around the edges. Unsettling, haunting, and strangely seductive, you will not be able to look away from Fus precise yet lyrical writing. Fans of Black Mirror, Aimee Benders The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, or Samantha Schweblins Fever Dream will love this memorable and utterly unique collection.

Christine Bollow, Loyalty

Christina Soontornvat, A Wish in the Dark

As a musical theater nerd, I was instantly hooked on the premise of A Wish in the Darka twist on the Les Misrables story set in a fantasy world inspired by Thai culture; whats not to like about that? Absolutely nothing, as it turns outI love this book with my whole heart. This captivating middle grade novel takes place in a richly imagined magical world, yet its laced with real world issues like inequality, poverty, and juvenile incarceration without ever feeling like its Teaching a Lesson.

Impassioned protagonists Pong and Nok bear resemblance to familiar Les Miz characters, but have backstories, personalities, and charm thats entirely their own. Readers of any age will find themselves gripped by Soontornvats world-building, storytelling, and clear, lovely prose, and I promise youll join me in standing up and cheering for these plucky youngsters as they risk everything in a brave attempt to rectify injustice in their society.

Amy Andrews, Loyalty

C. Pam Zhang, How Much of These Hills is Gold

Children of immigrants will feel seen in How Much of These Hills is Gold. Zhangs powerful storytellingwith raw and graphic imagerydetails the struggles of the Gold Rush. Through the adventures of two siblings in the wild west, Zhang layers on themes of colonization and land ownership, tension between dreamers and pragmatics, and identity and the limits of shaping your own fate. On the surface, How Much of These Hills is Gold is an immigrant story of survival, belonging, and grappling with family history and secrets. At its core, this magical story is about resistance and defiance against white normativity and dominance in an unrelenting world.

Jaclyn Dean, Loyalty

Lesley Chow, Youre History

Prolific film critic Lesley Chow turns her astute ear and eye to pop music in this staggering collection of music criticism. Choosing to examine pop music and some of the women in pop who strike her as strange, Chow completely turns music criticisms historic disdain for pop music on its head by illuminating, layer by layer, the genius of artists such as Janet Jackson, Kate Bush, and TLC to name a few. Written in clear, beautiful language, Chows Youre History is a must-read for any fan of music.

Malik Thompson, Loyalty

Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon

My three children are hapa, so Im always looking for more representation of Chinese and Asian characters in YA. Stacey Lee is one of the best historical fiction writers in YA, and Outrun the Moon is a devastatingly beautiful novel. Set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the story follows the fierce and fabulous Mercy Wong, who poses as a Chinese heiress for a spot at an elite private school for girlsand then must step up to help her privileged classmates when the earthquake leaves them homeless and traumatized. Mercy is enough reason to read the book, but the story also boasts well-researched historical and cultural details about San Francisco, particularly its Chinatown, funny and kind supporting characters, and a lovely romance. A must-read for any historical fiction fan.

Sandie Angulo Chen, Loyalty

Urvashi Bahuguna, No Straight Thing Was Ever Made

No Straight Thing Was Ever Made by Urvashi Bahuguna is a heartbreakingly honest depiction of how mental health can consume any given moment or experience. For those of us who struggle, it is painfully relatable, but for those who love someone with mental illness, these essays can give invaluable perspective. The authors account of her eternal battle and how it presents to those around her is as beautifully written as it is painful to watch unfold. The ups and downs of mental illness are hard to explain to someone who doesnt relate and never simple or the same from person to person, but Bahuguna has put it on paper in a way that made me shout Yes! Thats exactly it! every few pages.

Amani Jackson, Loyalty

Belinda Huijuan Tang,A Map for the Missing

A Map for the Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang (Penguin Press) releases on August 9th and is definitely one to go ahead and pre-order. It is one of the best novels I have read in a long time about leaving and returning home, the mysteries of our families and how to reconcile what we choose and what we dont when our desires are contradictory. It is a powerful, yet quietly told story. I was very surprised this is the authors first novel.

Tiffany Phillips, Wild Geese Bookshop

Kyle Lucia Wu, Win Me Something

This smart debut throbs with the ache of feeling like one doesnt belongabout a biracial woman who works as a nanny, Wus sharp and clear prose explores what it means to be part of a family.

Emma, Books Are Magic

E.J. Koh, The Magical Language of Others

Fifteen year old Eun Jis world is turned upside down when her parents leave her and her brother to live in California while they return to Korea for work. Her mother begins writing letters in Korean, which Eun Ji only really begins to understand years later as she tries to translate them in an attempt to better understand her mother, her family, and why her parents decided to leave their children on the opposite side of the world. This is a powerful story of familial love, heartache, and forgiveness, that acknowledges how feeble language can be when trying to articulate the depths of our emotions, yet blooms in the understanding that we try anyway.

Colleen, Books Are Magic

Yanyi, Dream of the Divided Field

In the way that bright lights hurt tired eyes, these poems carve from their raw material an aching tenderness of similarly piercing quality. They occupy the dreamlike space where memories dwell, where hopes and reveries reside as well. Dealing in the duality, and often cyclicality, of death and (re)birth, past and future, visibility and invisibilityand all the beauty and violence that falls in between these two moving pointsYanyi, with his razor-sharp lyricism, sculpts skin-like truths within the marble of the page.

Serena, Books Are Magic

Elaine Hsieh Chou, Disorientation

This novel is biting, hilarious, a little sad, and truly wild from start to finish. It has twist after twist and I found it truly hard to put down! Ingrid is an unlikely and flawed hero who you cant help but root for, and this books exploration of being Asian American (and an academic) is so wonderfully honest. Come for the incredible cover, stay for the fantastic content.

Jacs, Books Are Magic

Matt Ortile, The Groom Will Keep His Name

The Groom Will Keep His Name is absolutely THE BOOKas in, the book I want all of my friends to read ASAP, and quite possibly my favorite essay collection! Matt Ortiles writing is full of brilliant and witty and sensual commentary on being gay, being Filipino, being an immigrant, the city of New York as aspirational, the process of decolonizing identity and the American Dream, and navigating a multitude of identities in various spaces. There are essays here that feel especially relevant in this specific cultural moment, particularly the one about how we relate to history by rewriting and sanitizing it, but every essay touched me. This is a collection of essays but also a wildly smart and sharp manifesto. I cannot more highly recommend!

Julia, Books Are Magic

Mieko Kawakami, tr. Sam Bett and David Boyd, Breasts and Eggs

By luck, I was given a copy because it was damaged and couldnt be sold at the store. It was one of those reads that immediately absorbed me; in the end I self-declared it a feminist masterpiece. Originally it was published as a novella, then adapted to a novel because of the immense recognition it received in Japan. What I love about it, and from what I gather from other readers too, is that it so painstakingly encompasses womanhood.

Breasts and Eggs takes three related women who are each transfixed or even obsessed with a different part of their own womanhood: fertility, body image, and puberty. What Kawakami does so well is have an unbiased opinion throughout her storytelling. She doesnt judge a woman for wanting breast implants or unconventionally seeking out artificial pregnancy. If we could integrate Kawakamis thinking on women into our daily lives, the world would be a better place.

Jacque, Books Are Magic

Angela Mi Young Hur, Folklorn

For fans of Yaa Gyasis Transcendent Kingdom or Min Jin Lees Pachinko, Folklorn joins the ranks of contemporary classics re-shaping the canon of family saga and immigrant narratives. Excavating the illness and pain brought by generational trauma, Hur incorporates Korean folklore, parables, and reimagined myths into modern-day science, history and research, creating a dazzling experience rooted in the search for understanding and healing.

Colleen, Books Are Magic

Paul Tran, All the Flowers Kneeling

My purpose is precision. / Even when Im unclear Im deliberate. / When Im deliberate Im liberated.

Its hard for me to believe that this is a debut, given how skillful, expansive, and yes, deliberate Paul Trans writing is. What works so beautifully here is the way each piece plays with volumesome feel quiet, and others build into a piercing crescendo, all without saying a word aloud. Confronting themes of violence, survival, love, and more, All the Flowers Kneeling is an incredibly rich text. Gorgeous, evocative, and deeply affecting.

Julia, Books Are Magic

YZ Chin,Edge Case

I could not stop thinking about YZ ChinsEdgeCase.It follows Edwina, a young Malaysian woman working in tech in New York City who comes home one day after work, takeout sushi in hand, to discover that her husband has left her. The story floats between the present, as she desperately searches for where he is, the story of how they met and how their relationship began to crumble. Their immigration status is tentative, shes stuck in an awful tech job that oozes sexual harassment, racism, and classic tech-world toxicityand Edwina is convinced that the only way to get out of this awful situation is to find her husband again and convince him to stay. Chins writing is unflinching and sharp and will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

Eileen McCormick, Green Apple Books

Truong Tran, Book of the Other: Small in Comparison

Truong TransBook of the Otheris a searing and powerful look into the way institutional racism pervades communities, classrooms, and everyday life. This book peels back layer after layer until we discover our selves at its centeroften beautiful, often ugly, often both. This book takes to task, among many things, wokeness-as-social-currency, violent legacies of silence, and it reminds us that every one of us creates the world, both in our actions, as well as our inactions, for better or for worse. It reminds us that every single moment is a new one and with it comes a choice to change and grow and become better humans to one another. Its painful and intense and heartbreakingly urgent. Its fierce and beautiful and funny and sincere. Its filled with defeat and its filled with hope. Its difficult as the world. Do yourself a favor and please read this book.

Maxwell Shanley, Green Apple Books on the Park

Muriel Leung, Imagine Us, The Swarm

Sometimes collections extend outside of themselves, sometimes they spin and redirect back again into the reader, like light refracting off of all our hidden parts. Imagine Us, The Swarm was a collection I saw ricochet between the hearts of really great readers. Outside of having language that felt geologic, old, time-grown and witnessedthe collection also felt that it walked into the newer version of the world (one weve all have tried to grow accustomed to over the last few years).

I dont know if any of us can talk about what grief is without looking into the well of our memories, into our own histories of reaching pains and domesticated brutalities. This book is in the undercurrent. I couldnt put the book down, it is special. Leung offers us great work, from a great press. I think if you love poetry, you should read this book.

n.cuzzi, Green Apple Books

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The Art of the Hand-Sell: It's Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! - Literary Hub

Our intuition that life is far more widespread in the universe than technology may be misleading us. Reconsideration could affect how resources are prioritized in one of science's great quests.

The search to find life beyond the Earth has followed two broad paths seeking signs of intelligent life such as radio signals, or hunting for the effects of biological activity. Having so far not succeeded on either account, it's hard to be definitive as to which is more likely to work.

Nevertheless, a study published inThe Astrophysical Journal Letters carries the somewhat counter-intuitive case for technology over biology.

The argument for seeking biological signs is simple. Not all worlds with life will spawn civilizations whose technology we can detect, indeed it is likely the vast majority won't. A star like Alpha Centauri could easily have lifeforms on orbiting planets, the chance of something high-tech is remote. The idea is implicitly encoded in the famous Drake equation, an attempt to calculate the number of technological civilizations in the galaxy.

However, Dr Jason Wright of Penn State University and co-authors argue that this simple reasoning needs to be set against four factors which may collectively outweigh it.

The most obvious of these is the ease of detection. If a radio signal is powerful enough, we could spot it across the galaxy, whereas biological signs are likely to be noticeable only around nearby stars.

There is also the fact technological life forms may spread their products far wider than they themselves will travel. As far as we know, only Earth hosts life within our solar system, but human technology can be found on Mars and the Moon and in orbit around Venus and Jupiter. It's possible some will stay functional long after not only humanity, but all life on Earth, has gone.

The possibility technology could go on self-replicating far beyond its original makers (whether through their design or by accident) also needs to be considered, the authors argue.

Finally, life is tied to planets or at least moons, while technology can exist between worlds and even between star systems.

The authors state that while those involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence are familiar with many of these arguments, they're less familiar to other astrobiologists.

To weigh these arguments, the authors modify the original Drake equation to produce two Drake-like versions that estimate the numbers of technological or biological signatures to be found. As with the original version, each requires estimating the chance of various events, often with little to go on.

Will one in a hundred planets that host life eventually evolve a technologically advanced civilization, or one in a million? No one knows, but many people have opinions. Where spaceflight is achieved, will it on average lead to the colonization of a handful of planets, or millions? The answer is equally uncertain. Depending on which numbers you pick, the authors note one could conclude biological signatures far outnumber technological ones, or the reverse.

An objective, quantitative comparison of the actual relative abundances of technosignatures and biosignatures is difficult because it depends on details of extraterrestrial life that we cannot know for certain until we have some examples to learn from, the paper notes.

On the other hand, we can probably be more certain that where technology exists, it will be easier to find than signs of life at least as long as it is still operating, rather than a colossal wreck. Technological signals are also less likely to be ambiguous.

When astronomers such as Frank Drake were first contemplating the question, they had little choice in the matter. We could search for signs of biology on Mars and perhaps elsewhere in the Solar System, but anywhere further afield would depend on radio signals. We couldn't even detect more distant planets, let alone examine their atmospheres for gasses indicative of life.

Today we know of thousands of exoplanets, some potentially capable of supporting life. Forthcoming telescopes may allow us to find evidence if it is there, at least in closer examples. Much as the JWST will transform other areas of astronomy, the authors think we'll get more value for money when it comes to finding life from the Square Kilometer Array, with its massively enhanced capacity to detect radio signals.

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Technology May Beat Biology When It Comes To Finding Alien Signatures, Scientists Argue - IFLScience