Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Devastation from Deadly Camp and Woolsey Fires Seen from Space [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

A Decade of Commercial Space Travel — What’s Next? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Capitalism on Mars? Nat Geo’s ‘Mars’ Season 2 Premiere Parallels Frontier Struggles on Earth [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘How to Live in Space’: A Q&A with Author Colin Stuart [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘How to Live in Space’: A Q&A with Author Colin Stuart [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

With the space-tourism industry getting ready to take flight, aspiring space adventurers will soon be able to purchase tickets to low Earth orbit and beyond. But before you dish out thousands of dollars for a chance to blast off into space, there are a few things you should know.

A new book titled "How to Live in Space: Everything You Need to Know for the Not-So-Distant Future" (Smithsonian Books, 2018) offers a handy guide for anyone interested in leaving planet Earth — for a quick high-altitude balloon flight, a mission to the moon or even a one-way trip to Mars.

Virgin Galactic has already sold hundreds of tickets for future suborbital flights aboard SpaceShipTwo, and the company's competitor Blue Origin plans to start selling tickets next year for flights on the New Shepard suborbital rocket. Prospective space tourists can expect to spend around $250,000 for a ticket on either of those trips. For a longer stay in Earth's orbit, look to a company called Orion Span, which plans to launch a "luxury space hotel," where a 12-day stay will cost $9.5 million per person. [14 Awesome Space Tourism Travel Posters from NASA (Gallery)]

Space tourism isn't cheap, and spaceflight can be unpleasant. So, before you splurge on an out-of-this-world vacation, you should know what you're getting into. Space.com spoke with Colin Stuart, a space and astronomy writer and author of "How to Live in Space," to get the lowdown on what novice spacefarers of the future can expect.

Space.com: Spaceflight is typically an activity that's reserved for well-trained astronauts, but your book is geared toward civilians and space tourists. Why did you decide that this audience needed a handbook for living in space?

Colin Stuart: It kind of feels like we're at a new dawn in a way, in a transition moment where space is opening up not just to the highly trained or the lucky few, but hopefully for everyone. The book is sort of a handbook for the everyday person who goes to space in the future, and it tells you what you need to know to get by. It explains things like eating, sleeping, drinking, going to the toilet in space — you know, the classic stuff. But it also delves into some of the more unusual things that maybe you haven't thought about before, like space law. For example, if you punch someone in space, do you get prosecuted? Who prosecutes you? That's the book in a nutshell.

Space.com: What kind of surprises will space tourists encounter?

Stuart: Some of the mundane things might be the most surprising. For example, you would expect that there would be some sort of washing machine for clothes in space, but there isn't. So, people at the International Space Station end up wearing their clothes for ages. And then, when they when they finally get so dirty that people can't wear them, the clothes end up going in a capsule and burning up in the atmosphere. If you see a shooting star, it's probably a piece of normal space stuff, but there's a chance it's an astronauts' dirty socks.

The other thing is how efficient astronauts are at recycling everything, because it costs so much money to get things into space. You have to be really prudent about what's there. So, the "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra that we have on Earth is so critical in space as well. You've got to suck every last drop of usefulness out of things, including water. So, for example, they recycle a lot of their water on the space station, including human urine. About 93 percent of all the water gets recycled.

Space.com: What are some of the most important things people should know about spaceflight before they make the decision to go to space?

Stuart: If we're talking about longer-duration missions rather than hopping on a suborbital flight and coming right back down again, one of the things we have got to be really prepared for is the psychological effect of being so far removed from your everyday environment. Now, it's kind of OK if you're orbiting around the Earth. You can get homesick, but at least the Earth is right there out the window — big, bold, bright. You can phone someone back home. The space station has a telephone.

But if you start to then go farther away, your universe gets smaller, and the communication delay gets longer. We just don't know what that's going to do to people if they end up going to Mars, for example, in the future. No human being has ever had that level of isolation. If you're going to be halfway to Mars, you won't see Earth as more than a blue dot in the distance nor Mars as a red dot in the distance. A message home would take a good 10 minutes. A reply will take 10 minutes.

No human being has ever been that isolated, and we've done things that try and guess and simulate that kind of isolation on Earth in different experiments. But I'd say the biggest hurdle we have for sort of colonizing space is not only technological. We have a pretty good history of solving technological problems but not necessarily psychological ones. So, when we try it, when we send the first people to make that trip, you've got to be prepared for it to do unusual things to the human psyche.

 

Space.com: What about those shorter tourist missions, where you just kind of go up and come back down?

Stuart: I think you'd pretty well looked after. The plans for things like Virgin Galactic are that you would spend a couple of days on a training mission for the mission first. So, you'd be schooled in all of the things, and you would go through all of the medical checks that you have to go through, so you wouldn't really have to worry there.

The only thing that you need to be aware of is that weightlessness, even temporary weightlessness, can play havoc with the human body and the vestibular system in your ear that tells you which way is up. You can be violently ill, but there's not really a way to know for sure how ill you're going to be. Even if you do training on a parabolic flight, Vomit Comet-style, it's not a perfect one-to-one match between those people that cope well with the Vomit Comet and those who can go to space without getting sick.

Be prepared for it to still feel bad seeing your beautiful views of the window. If I went, I'm pretty sure that I'd be pretty ill, because I don't have a particularly good track record with motion sickness, that kind of thing. So, be prepared for it to not be all magical and wonderful. You might be stricken with some sickness there, and there's not a lot you can do to prepare yourself for that. 

Space.com: So, other than barf bags, what should people pack for a trip to space?

Stuart: A camera — I think that's a guarantee. Some sort of memento, too. Astronauts are famous for taking small, little tokens with them and bringing them back. And things that have flown to space can be quite nostalgic … so maybe bring a wedding ring or some kind of nice memento.

I should say something about barf bags, while you mention it. I hadn't realized before I researched the book that they test astronaut barf bags on the Earth, which makes sense. But to do it, they don't use real human vomit. They make their own fake vomit using pureed cottage cheese mixed with tomato soup, apple juice, soy sauce and frozen vegetables. It's pretty grim. That's the closest analog they can find to genuine human sick, to make sure the bags don't leak. 

Space.com: With that said, is there a certain kind of food that people should eat (or avoid eating) before launching into space?

Stuart: You want to keep it pretty plain. You don't want to have anything that you don't really want to see on the way out. I'd cut down on the spice and eat something sort of slow burning, like porridge or carbohydrates or pasta or something to kind of give you enough energy and that you won't be too upset to see come out the other way.

Space.com: What would you recommend packing for a longer-duration trip or a one-way trip to Mars or somewhere interstellar?

Stuart: I think a lot of the things that you're going to need will be supplied for you. I think it comes down to psychology again. You want to take things with you that are going to keep your spirits up, that are going to remind you most of home and that, when times get tough, will be able to raise your spirits again.

Look at the Mars500 project, for example. The crewmembers talk about missing certain things, like the sound of water flowing or the sound of the wind. So, maybe take some type of playlist — not only of your favorite music, but also some of your favorite sounds from the Earth. It could be waves breaking on the shore. The Mar-500 participant Romain Charles said he really missed the sound of the wind blowing through the wheat fields at his uncle's farm when he was a kid, and he said he wished he had recorded it.

I think it depends on what kind of person you are, too. For some people, the sounds could have the opposite effect. It might remind you too much of the Earth, and maybe you would get sad that you weren't there.

Space.com: Do you think that spaceflight can ever really become like a luxury vacation experience? Or will it always be inherently uncomfortable and dangerous?

Stuart: You've always got the element of risk with spaceflight, and I think lately we've become a bit blasé about it, because space travel seems so routine to us. People are going to space all the time. The aborted Soyuz launch to the space station in October was the first Soyuz failure in a long time, and it reminds us, especially, that space travel is dangerous and there is always inherent risk in it.

It can take a while until it becomes luxurious, but I often say, in some ways, it's the same as traveling around the Earth. The first transatlantic journeys were made on sailing ships taking months at a time. Must have been a horrible experience — cramped, stinky, cold, rubbish food — and the chances of things going wrong on that mission across the Atlantic were … very high. Whereas, now, transatlantic travel is routine and can be greatly luxurious. We're talking about a blue ocean there. Space is a black ocean, and I don't see too much difference between the two in that the more you do it, the safer things become and the more luxurious things become. So, by the end of this century, are we going to be sending people around the moon in a comfortable way on a fairly regular basis for leisure? I think it's a possibility.

Space.com: Would you go to space?

Stuart: The answer has always been yes for me as long as it's a very short mission. I'm not sure I'd be up for the trip to Mars and back. But suborbital, absolutely, and I still hold out hope that I'm going to get to do that. I'm in my early 30s, and in 30 years' time, I'm in my 60s — the cost of those trips could come down from the current $250,000. If it comes down at the same rate as air travel fares, then it will fall to tens of thousands of dollars. That's a lot of money, but it's the sort of money people spend on a car, on a holiday, so I still hold out hope of going into space. I would go around the moon for a week, absolutely. I mean, who could turn that down? But I don't think I would have the personality type suited for those long-duration missions.

This interview was edited for length. You can buy "How to Live in Space: Everything You Need to Know for the Not-So-Distant Future" at Amazon.com.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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https://www.space.com/42391-how-to-live-in-space-author-interview.html 'How to Live in Space': A Q&A with Author Colin Stuart

[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]‘How to Live in Space’: A Q&A with Author Colin Stuart

Weight loss: ‘Most effective way’ to burn calories REVEALED – are you surprised? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: ‘Most effective way’ to burn calories REVEALED – are you surprised? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

While diet plans can help some people on their weight loss journey, upping your exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet can help slimmers to get trim.

Working out indoors is a convenient way of burning calories for many people – especially in the winter time.

But, is hitting the gym enough?

According to a well-known figure in the fitness industry, Ryan Terry, there can often be a misconception about what training slimmers should be doing.

The 29-year-old, who is an ambassador for the sports nutrition brand USN, recently competed in the 2018 Men’s Physique category at Mr Olympia.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, the former plumber explained that many people usually focus on cardio workouts when they’re trying to lose weight.

However, Ryan is convinced that dedicating time to weight training could see effective results.

He said: “There’s a misconception [which means] that when someone walks into a gym and they want to lose weight, they’ll automatically go to a cardio machine, rather than weights and resistance machines.

“It’s ok, and you will lose weight on a cardio machine, but the most effective way of burning calories is through weight training.”

The Instagram star went on to discuss how many people are put off from lifting weights, due to the muscular body shape it could develop.

But, Ryan was quick to insist that it’s unlikely that this would happen immediately.

“People think, ‘I don’t want to build muscle. I don’t want to be bigger,’ but to build muscle is really really difficult and it takes years,” the bodybuilder said.

“I’ve been training for 15 years. The only reason I’ve built muscle is through the nutrition side. The key to losing weight is expending calories – [which can be through] weight training.”

However, research has shown that a cardio workout session could burn more calories compared to the same amount of time spent on weightlifting.

But, another study by the College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Maryland saw participants’ resting metabolism increase by a small amount, following 24 weeks of weight training.

What’s more, a study published in March 2002 in the journal European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that metabolism remained elevated for up to 38 hours following resistance exercise.

On top of exercising, taking a closer look at the foods you’re consuming could aid weight loss.

While many people may opt for a healthy diet, improving flavour with the help of sauces could create a challenge when it comes to weight loss results.

Find out how many calories are in some of the nation’s favourite condiments here.

Ryan Terry is an ambassador for sports nutrition brand, USN who have just launched their brand new USN Trust lifestyle range. To find out more visit www.usn.co.uk.

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https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/1044321/Weight-loss-tips-diet-best-weight-loss-plan-exercise Weight loss: 'Most effective way' to burn calories REVEALED – are you surprised?

[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Weight loss: ‘Most effective way’ to burn calories REVEALED – are you surprised?

Monday, November 12, 2018

NASA Chief Sees Bold Future on Mars and the Moon [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

It’s Business Time! Rocket Lab Lofts 6 Satellites on 1st Commercial Launch [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA Chief Honors US Military in Veterans Day Video [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA Chief Honors US Military in Veterans Day Video [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine took time this weekend to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, with a special Veterans Day video message. 

"Veterans Day gives us all the honor and privilege to salute our nation's military veteran," Bridenstine said in the video. "The link between NASA and the military is long and deep, and the expertise and valor that service members from all brances have brought to our space program have been essential to American leadership in space."

Bridenstine echoed the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, who said: 'Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring piece so that their efforts shall not have been in vain." [Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump]

"Our nation owes its veterans the deepest gratitude," Bridenstine said. "It is the dedication and commitment of these men and women, those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the principles of our nation that have made the United States the greatest country ono Earth. Thank you to each and every one of you."

Bridenstine is well-acquainted with the dedication required of the men and women in the U.S. military. He served as an aviator in the U.S. Navy and flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan before transitioning to the U.S. Navy Reserve, and later the Oklahoma Air National Guard. 

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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https://www.space.com/42416-nasa-chief-veterans-day-2018-video.html NASA Chief Honors US Military in Veterans Day Video

[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]NASA Chief Honors US Military in Veterans Day Video

Colonizing Mars Means Contaminating Mars — And Never Knowing For Sure If It Had Its Own Native Life [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Rocket Lab’s 1st Commercial Launch in Pictures: ‘It’s Business Time’! [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Astronaut Rusty Schweickart Looks Back on Apollo 9, and to the Next Asteroid Impact [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

From the Moon to Mars: Excerpt from ‘The Fated Sky’ (Tor 2018) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

From the Moon to Mars: Excerpt from ‘The Fated Sky’ (Tor 2018) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of "Ghost Talkers," "The Glamourist Histories" series, and the "Lady Astronaut" duology. She is a cast member of the award-wining podcast "Writing Excuses" and also a three-time Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny,Tor.com, and Asimov's. Mary Robinette, a professional puppeteer, lives in Chicago.

Kowal's "Lady Astronaut" series, which opened with "The Calculating Stars," continues with "The Fated Sky," which came out in August. The book opens as mathematician-turned-astronaut Elma York, who fought in the first book for a more diverse astronaut corps, is beginning to look for her next adventure. At the same time, the organization in charge of space exploration has turned its sights to Mars. Read a Q&A with Kowal on the series here.

Below, you can read an excerpt from the first chapter of "The Fated Sky."

IAC HEAD WARNS ABOUT CUTS IN BUDGET

By JOHN W. FINNEY

Special to The National Times

Aug. 16, 1961 — Horace Clemons, head of the International Aerospace Coalition, warned the United Nations today that any cuts in the "minimal" space budget would make a manned Mars landing in this decade impossible. He also cautioned that any extension in the timetable of the Mars program would increase the cost of the First Mars Expedition, now estimated at $20 billion. As a result of the $600 million cut made by the United States Congress in this year's budget, he said the IAC has had to sacrifice the "insurance" that had been built into the program "as a hedge against unforeseeable or intractable technical problems" and to delay crucial experimental flights in the Cygnus spacecraft.

Do you remember where you were when the Friendship probe reached Mars? I was getting ready to return from the moon. I'd been up in Artemis Base for a three-month rotation, flying geologists from our tiny colony out to different survey sites.

While we were all called astronauts, only a handful of us were also pilots, by which I mean glorified bus drivers. The rest of the two hundred "citizens" came and went, depending on their area of expertise. Only fifty or so were "permanent" residents in the underground bunkers we called home.

Along with half the population of the base, I skip-walked in the light gravity through a buried gerbil tube called "Baker Street" toward "Midtown." With no atmosphere to protect us from the cosmic rays hitting the moon, we'd scraped up a layer of the moon's surface and buried the tubes in regolith. Aesthetically, the outside of the base looked like a decaying sandcastle. The inside was mostly smooth rubber, occasionally punctuated with light wells, aluminum supports, and pressure doors.

One of the doors hissed open, and Nicole hopped through, holding the handle. She pulled the door closed behind her and dogged it shut.

I spread my legs to kill my momentum as I landed from my last skip. She'd rotated to a position here on the last ship and it was darn good to see her. "Good morning."

"I thought you were Earthbound." Like me, Nicole was wearing a light pressure suit, and had the rubberized safety helmet tethered at her waist like a gas mask from the war. It wasn't much, but in case one of the tubes was breached, it would give us ten minutes of oxygen to get to safety.

"I am, but I wasn't going to miss the first Mars probe landing." I was currently on rotation as a copilot for the small shuttle from the base to IAC's Lunetta orbiting platform. It wasn't much more than a space bus, but the big ships like the Lunetta-to-Earth, Solaris class, were all piloted by men — not that I was irritable about that or anything. I patted the carryall that hung over one shoulder. "Heading straight to the Lunetta rocket after this."

"Say hello to a hot shower for me." She joined me in skipwalking down Baker Street. "Do you think we'll see Martians?"

"Not likely. It looks almost as bleak as the moon, at least from the orbital pictures." We reached the end of Baker Street. The delta-pressure gauge on the panel by the door read lunar normal 4.9 psi, so I pumped the rachet handle to open it. "Nathaniel says he'll pull out his own eyeteeth if there are Martians."

"That's . . . graphic. Speaking of, how is he?"

"Good." I pulled the door open. "He's been making noises about . . . ah . . . rocket launches."

Laughing, Nicole slid into the Baker Street-Midtown airlock. "Honestly, you two are like newlyweds."

"I'm never home!"

"You should get him up here again to visit." She winked at me. "I mean, now that private quarters are an option."

"Yeah . . . You and the senator should probably put a little more thought into how well the air ducts carry sound." I started pulling the hatch shut.

"Hold the door!" In Baker Street, Eugene Lindholm bounded toward us with loping strides. If you've never seen someone move in low gravity, it's sort of like mixing the grace of a toddler skipping with the ground-eating stride of a cheetah.

I pushed the door open wider. He corrected badly and cracked his head on the frame as he came through.

"Are you okay?" Nicole caught his arm to steady him.

"Thanks." He pressed a hand against the ceiling as he caught his balance. The other hand held a sheaf of papers.

Nicole glanced at me before she moved over to the door into Midtown. I nodded and dogged the Baker Street door shut, but she didn't open the next door.

"So . . . Eugene. As someone who flies with Parker . . ." She gestured at the papers in his hand. "I don't suppose you want to 'accidentally' drop some of those?"

He grinned. "If you're hoping for duty rosters, all I've got are recipe clippings for Myrtle."

"Drat." She opened the hatch and we headed into Midtown.

Wafting in from the pressure difference came a scent rare on the moon, loam and green and the soft scent of water. The center of the colony had a broad open dome that allowed in filtered light, which nurtured the plants growing here. It was our first really permanent structure.

The areas along the walls had been partitioned into living quarters. Sometimes I wished I were still berthed here, but the newer pilots' quarters were conveniently located by the ports. Other cubicles had been erected for offices and our one restaurant. There was also a barber shop, a second-hand store, and an "art museum."

The very center held a tiny "park." By "park," I mean it wasn't much bigger than a pair of king-sized beds, with a path through the middle. But it was green.

What did we grow in this carefully ameliorated soil? Dandelions. Turns out, when properly prepared they are tasty and nutritious. Another favorite, prickly pear, has beautiful flowers that turn into sweet seedpods, and flat pads that can be roasted or baked. It turns out that many of nature's weeds were well suited to growing in nutrition-poor soil.

"Hot dog." Eugene slapped his thigh. "The dandelions are in bloom. Myrtle has been threatening to try her hand at dandelion wine."

"By 'threatening,' you mean promising, right?" Nicole bounded past the raised beds. "Oh, Elma, also say hello to a dry martini for me when you get home."

"I'll make it a double." I had thought that Nathaniel and I would be some of the first settlers on the moon, but with the Artemis Base established, the agency had turned its attention to settling Mars, and he had to stay on Earth for planning purposes.

Mars consumed everyone's conversations at the IAC. The computers sitting over their equations. The punch card girls keying in endless lines of code. The cafeteria ladies ladling out mashed potatoes and green peas. Nathaniel, with his calculations . . . Everyone talked about Mars.

And it was no different on the moon. On the far side of Midtown, they had brought out a giant four-foot television screen from the launch center and erected it on a sort of podium. It looked like half the colony was here, crowded around the TV.

The Hilliards had brought a blanket and what looked like a picnic lunch. They weren't the only ones who were turning this into a social occasion. The Chans, Bhatramis, and Ramirezes had also set up on the ground near the podium. There weren't any children yet, but aside from that, it was almost like a real town.

Myrtle had a blanket set up too, and waved Eugene over. He smiled and waved back. "There she is. Want to join us, ladies? We've got plenty of room on the blanket."

"Thanks! That would be lovely."

I followed him over to the blanket, which looked to have been quilted together from old uniforms, and settled down with Eugene and Myrtle. She'd trimmed her hair from its bouffant into something more suitable to the moon, mostly because aerosols were not a great thing to have in space. She and Eugene had volunteered to be some of the permanent residents. I sorely missed them when I was on Earth.

"Hey!" A voice from the front of the crowd cut through the murmur of conversation. "It's starting."

I rose onto my knees to see over the heads of the folks in front of us. In grainy black and white, the TV showed a broadcast from Mission Control in Kansas, though we were getting it with a 1.3-second delay. I studied each image, looking for Nathaniel. I loved my job, but being away from my husband for months at a time was challenging. Sometimes I thought that quitting and going back to being a computer would be appealing.

On the screen, I could see Basira working away on equations as the teletype coughed out pages. She drew a strong line under a number and lifted her head. "The Doppler signature indicates that the two-stage separation has occurred."

My heart ratcheted up, because this meant that the probe was about to enter the Martian atmosphere. Or, rather, it had entered already. The weird thing was that all the numbers she was getting from Mars were twenty minutes old. The mission had either already succeeded or failed.

Twenty minutes old—I glanced at my watch. How much time did I have before I had to be in the hangar?

Nathaniel's voice came over the television and I inhaled with longing. "Atmospheric entry in three, two, one . . . Speed 117,000 kilometers. Downrange distance to landing site is 703 kilometers. Expected parachute deploy in five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One. Mark. Awaiting confirmation . . ."

The entire dome seemed to hold its breath, leaving only the constant low hum of fans to stir the air. I leaned toward the screen, as if I could see the numbers coming off the teletype or help Basira with the math. Though, in truth, it had been four years since I'd been in the computer department or doing anything more complicated than basic orbital mechanics.

"Confirm parachute. Parachute has been detected."

Someone let out a whoop in the dome. We weren't down yet, but oh — it was close. I wrapped my fingers in a corner of the quilt, clutching it as if I could steer the probe from here.

"Awaiting confirmation from the spacecraft that retro-rocket ignition has occurred." Still, Nathaniel was talking about an event that had happened twenty minutes ago, while I was listening to his voice from 1.3 seconds ago. The vagaries of life in space.

"At this point in time, we should be on the ground."

Please, oh, please let him be right. Because if they failed to land that probe, the Mars mission would come to a sudden and grinding halt. I looked at my watch again. He should be announcing confirmation of the landing, but the seconds just ticked by.

"Please stand by. We are awaiting confirmation from the Deep Space Network and the Lunetta relay station." Nathaniel wasn't on the screen now, but I could picture him standing at his desk, a pencil gripped so tightly in his fist that it could break at any moment.

A tone sounded.

Beside me, Nicole inhaled sharply. "What is that?"

The tone repeated, and Mission Control dissolved into cheering. Nathaniel's voice rose as he fought to be heard over the din. "What you're hearing, ladies and gentlemen, is the confirmation tone from our Mars probe. This is the first broadcast from another planet. Confirmed. Friendship has landed, paving the way for our manned mission."

I jumped to my feet — we all did — and forgot about gravity. Laughing and soaring awkwardly through the air, I cheered for the success of the Friendship probe and the team who had planned the mission.

From "The Fated Sky" by Mary Robinette Kowal, published by Tor Books. Copyright © 2018. Reprinted courtesy of Tor. You can buy "The Fated Sky" on Amazon.com.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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https://www.space.com/42410-fated-sky-book-excerpt-mary-robinette-kowal.html From the Moon to Mars: Excerpt from 'The Fated Sky' (Tor 2018)

[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]From the Moon to Mars: Excerpt from ‘The Fated Sky’ (Tor 2018)

Raging California Wildfires Spotted from Space (Photos) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

See Saturn, Mars and the Moon Shine in This Week’s Evening Sky [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Rocket Lab to Launch 1st Commercial Mission Tonight: Watch It Live [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Small Asteroid Buzzes Earth Today! How to See It Online. [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight Loss: How many calories are in your favourite alcoholic drinks? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight Loss: How many calories are in your favourite alcoholic drinks? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss is best achieved through eating healthily as well as doing exercise.

But it’s important to remember that drinks can ruin a weight loss plan if they contain lots of calories.

Are you aware of exactly how many calories alcoholic drinks can contain?

A survey by Finder.com revealed that two-thirds of Britons have no idea how many calories are in common alcoholic drinks.

People often think alcohol does not contain as many calories as it actually does.

For instance, 2.7 million people believe there are fewer than 40 calories in a pint of lager, despite the correct figure being over 200.

The average Briton consumes 21 units of booze a week, with a unit being an average of 85 calories, adding up to an extra 1,750 calories a week.

By minimising alcohol intake or cutting it out entirely, the average person could lose 27 pounds in a year.

A pint of lager topped the calorie count list with a whopping 230 calories per pint, with 65 per cent of Britons having no idea of the calorie count.

Cider and Guinness were closely behind lager, with 216 and 218 calories, respectively.

Wine was also placed in the top 10 most calorie-packed drinks.

A medium glass of wine (175ml) has around 159 calories in it, with 59 per cent of those surveyed unaware of the calorie intake.

One of the drinks with lowest number of calories found was gin, with only 52. But served as a double measure with tonic, the amount significantly rises to 160 calories.

It’s key to make savvy choices when it comes to choosing alcoholic drinks while wanting to lose weight.

Drinking gin neat with a squeeze of fresh lime is much better for weight loss than mixing the spirit with tonic water as there’s lots of sugar in the popular mixer.

Another method is to avoid drinking drinks which include more than one type of alcohol.

Frozen drinks are also packed full of sugar and should be steered clear of by those wanting to lose weight.

The truth behind juice and detox diets has also recently been revealed.

“In truth, the idea that we need to give our system a ‘rest’ and follow a juice or cleansing diet to reboot, detoxify or improve our health and wellbeing is complete nonsense,” said Sarah Ballis, specialist dietitian at The Harley Street Clinic, part of HCA Healthcare UK.

According to Ballis, the body already has a ”sophisticated, complex and intricate” inbuilt system to remove chemicals and unwanted substances.

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https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/1043600/weight-loss-drinking-alcohol-how-many-calories Weight Loss: How many calories are in your favourite alcoholic drinks?

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In Photos: The 2018 California Wildfires as Seen from Space [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Here’s How Much the Earth Weighs in ‘Ghostly’ Neutrinos [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Here’s How Much the Earth Weighs in ‘Ghostly’ Neutrinos [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Despite being stuck on this rock tumbling through space all the time, we don't really know exactly how heavy that rock is, or how its mass is distributed.

Of course, researchers have some pretty good estimates. Our planet weighs about 13.17 septillion (or 13.17 with 24 zeroes after it) lbs. (5.974 septillion kilograms) in an Earth-like gravity field, according to Caltech. But that number comes from an indirect calculation based on Earth's gravity. Similarly, scientists have tried to measure how Earth's mass is distributed based on how seismic waves move through it, but those results aren't very precise. [The Large Numbers That Define the Universe]

So a team of researchers at the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC) in Spain came up with an alternative method for studying the heavy stuff inside the planet, using a detector designed to hunt ultralight particles from outer space known as neutrinos.

In a paper published Monday (Nov. 5) in the journal Nature Physics, the researchers used data from Antarctica's massive IceCube Neutrino Observatory to estimate the mass and density distribution of the Earth. IceCube can sense these ghostly neutrinos arriving from all directions, including from inside Earth.

Neutrinos are extremely weakly interacting particles, so they pass through most matter without being detected. But when passing through a massive, dense object like Earth, some of them will eventually collide with other matter and disappear. In particular, high-energy neutrinos, which more often collide with other objects, rarely make it through Earth.

Using data from IceCube on neutrinos that pass through Earth, the researchers were able to work backward to figure out how many neutrinos never made it out of Earth to hit IceCube. From there, they arrived at a pretty good estimate of how much mass was blocking those neutrinos and where it was. In effect, they figured out Earth's mass by studying its neutrino shadow.

And the method worked reasonably well. The scientists came to a similar estimate of Earth's mass: about 13 septillion lbs. (6 septillion kg). They also measured Earth's core mass at 6 septillion lbs. (2.72 septillion kg). That's 45 percent of the planet's total mass, and significantly higher than the results from seismic measurements, which estimate the core makes up 33 percent of Earth's total mass.

In an accompanying News & Views article in Nature Physics, Véronique Van Elewyck, an astrophysicist at the Laboratoire Astroparticule et Cosmologie at Paris Diderot University in France, called the paper are good "proof of concept." Van Elewyck, who was not involved in the research, suggested that in another 10 to 15 years, researchers would likely use this kind of calculation to probe the interior of the Earth. However, this paper tells scientists more about whether this method can work than anything specific about the inside of Earth, she wrote.

To get to the point of useful calculations, she wrote, scientists need a lot more data from IceCube and other detectors still under construction.

Originally published on Live Science.

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https://www.space.com/42401-earth-weight-in-neutrinos.html Here's How Much the Earth Weighs in 'Ghostly' Neutrinos

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Vega: The North Star of the Past and the Future [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Expedition 57: The Space Station Mission in Photos [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Expedition 57: The Space Station Mission in Photos [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

In 2018, three astronauts flew the 57th mission to the International Space Station, a trip that included much science, dazzling views and a harrowing launch abort for other crewmembers. See photos of the mission here.

This photo shows the core Expedition 57 crew: From left, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA and Alexander Gerst of ESA, pose for a photo inside the ISS’s cupola with the Solomon Islands visible through the windows.

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NASA’s Curiosity Rover on Mars Is Rolling (and Drilling) Again [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Water Deep in Earth’s Core May Come from Dust Swirling Around the Sun [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Water Deep in Earth’s Core May Come from Dust Swirling Around the Sun [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Where did the building blocks of Earth's first water come from?

At least in part, from a cloud of gas and dust swirling around the sun, new research suggests.

Water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and rocky asteroids likely carried most of that hydrogen to Earth billions of years ago.  However, the new research suggests that young Earth also received hydrogen from the solar nebula.

"Nearly one out of every 100 water molecules on Earth came from the solar nebula," researchers wrote in the new study, which was published online Oct. 9 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

In the early solar system, this cloud — the material leftover after the sun's formation — contained large amounts of hydrogen. But before this study, researchers hadn't looked at whether the nebula provided much of Earth's hydrogen, they reported. [Photo Timeline: How the Earth Formed]

To find out where Earth's water came from, scientists examined its chemical fingerprints, looking at ratios of hydrogen isotopes — versions of hydrogen with different numbers of neutrons and, therefore, different atomic mass.

The ratio of normal hydrogen and deuterium — a heavier isotope — in ocean water matches the ratio found in water from asteroids, suggesting that Earth's water had asteroid origins. However, hydrogen extracted from the planet's interior, near the region where the mantle meets the core, tells a different tale. Those samples had less deuterium than hydrogen compared with ocean water, pointing to a source other than asteroids, according to the study.

Earth took shape billions of years ago, when smaller asteroids collided and fused into a larger body. As the newborn, still-molten planet formed, it siphoned dust and gas from the solar nebula, the new model suggests. The nebula's hydrogen sank into baby Earth's molten magma, drawn toward its magnetic core. Meanwhile, hydrogen from asteroids lingered in what eventually became the mantle, the researchers explained.

Asteroid impacts continued to bombard Earth and build up its "body," and as they did, they distributed hydrogen with a higher deuterium ratio in the mantle and in Earth's oceans. While this hydrogen makes up most of the planet's water, the scientists concluded that some water owes its formation to hydrogen from the nebula.

What's more, quantities of water are thought to be hidden inside the planet —"roughly two oceans in the mantle and four to five oceans in the core," much of which likely originated from the solar nebula, the scientists reported.

Their findings also hint that similar processes could shape the formation of water on distant exoplanets, lead study author Jun Wu, an assistant research professor in the School of Molecular Sciences and School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, said in a statement.

"This model suggests that the inevitable formation of water would likely occur on any sufficiently large exoplanets in extrasolar systems," Wu said. "I think this is very exciting," he said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Billionaire Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Initiatives Eyes Private Mission to Seek Alien Life [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Where Are All the Aliens? ‘Out There’ Book Excerpt [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Friday, November 9, 2018

Leonid Meteor Shower: Bright Fireballs in November [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Victoria’s Secret Bella Hadid: Supermodel prepares for runway with THIS diet [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Victoria’s Secret Bella Hadid: Supermodel prepares for runway with THIS diet [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is one of the biggest events in the fashion calendar and this year the show is returning to New York.

It’s set to be bigger than ever this year with an impressive music line-up headed by Rita Ora and a designer collaboration with Mary Katrantzou.

The 2018 event will also see some of the biggest supermodels in the world right now, including Kendall Jenner, 23, Gigi Hadid, 23, and Bella Hadid, 22, walk down the runway together.

Bella was lucky enough to take part in last year’s show in Shanghai and no doubt has been working hard in the last few week’s to prepare for this year’s New York show.

In a rare moment on Instagram, Bella revealed to her fans exactly what she’s been eating in the lead-up to the show.

Posting on her Instagram story last week, Bella shared pictures with her followers of what’s inside her fridge.

Showing off her impressively clean fridge, contents included jam, nut spreads, yoghurts, plenty of fruit and vegetables and various cheeses.

When it comes to drinks, it appears Bella likes a variety of juices, coconut water, kombucha and oat milk.

With the amount of food in the fridge, we can only presume the fridge is in the Hadid family home, meaning her mother Yolanda and siblings Gigi and Anwar also enjoy the contents.

In preparation for last year’s show, Bella revealed to Footwear News how she got in runway shape.

She said: “I like to train hard, but still give myself cheat days and allow myself to eat the things I want when I crave them.

“Everything in moderation.”

Mum Yolanda also revealed how Bella prepared.

Appearing on Australia’s Today Extra, she said: “You know it is hard work, they are on a diet and they work out every day.

“There is a whole system to it for them to look, you know, the best version of themselves on the day of the show.”

It’s more than likely Bella Hadid has followed a similar diet and exercise regime this year.

This year will also welcome some new faces to the catwalk. Meet the full line-up here. 

British model Winnie Harlow will make her Victoria’s Secret debut.

Taking to Instagram she said: “I had a break down before I walked into the most nerve wrecking casting of my life.

“I asked my driver to go around the block twice before I could walk into the @VictoriasSecret offices so I could re coup.”

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NASA’s Restored Mission Control Consoles Touch Down in Houston [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Certified to Launch NASA’s Most Precious Science Missions [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Astronaut Basks in Earth’s ‘Glory’ Rainbow from Space Station (Photo) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Was Life on the Early Earth Purple? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘Infinite Wonder’: Scott Kelly Documents Yearlong Space Mission with New Photobook [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Thursday, November 8, 2018

This 13.5-Billion-Year-Old Star Is a Tiny Relic from Just After the Big Bang [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘Infinte Wonder’: Photos from Scott Kelly’s Year in Space Mission [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘Infinte Wonder’: Photos from Scott Kelly’s Year in Space Mission [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has released a photobook, “Infinite Wonder,” chronicling his 340 days on the International Space Station. Here are some selections from Kelly’s time there. [Read more about the book and Kelly’s thoughts on spaceflight here.]

In this image, Kelly pointed out how the aurora’s vivid light reflects on the bottom of the International Space Station its robotic arm, Canadarm2.

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Mariner 9: First Spacecraft to Orbit Mars [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Taurus Constellation: Facts About the Bull [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA’s Sun-Kissing Solar Probe Survives 1st Flyby of Our Star [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

SpaceX to Build ‘Mini BFR’ Version of Mars Rocket to Fly on Falcon 9, Elon Musk Says [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Japanese Cargo Ship Departs Space Station. Next Stop: Oblivion. [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Culberson Loses as Democrats Win House; Nelson Losing Senate Re-election [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: Woman loses 17.5 stone and drops 13 dress sizes without following diet plan [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: Woman loses 17.5 stone and drops 13 dress sizes without following diet plan [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

While slimming down may be something many people consider doing every now and then, for the severely overweight, it’s crucial they do so in order to avoid potentially fatal health problems.

For Maxine Wren, she was left with no option but to slim down, after she was told she could be dead within a year if she didn’t.

At her heaviest, more than six years ago, she tipped the scales at 27 stone and 12 pounds, and wore a women’s dress size 36.

Maxine, now 39, who is from Chester-le-Street in County Durham, was prescribed slimming pills by concerned doctors, and was referred for a gastric bypass operation.

However, a month after being offered the surgery, life-changing good news meant she wanted to avoid the risks of the operation.

Having discovered her sister was pregnant, Maxine said she feared never meeting the youngster if she “died on the operating table”.

She refused surgery, and instead joined her local Slimming World group.

“The slimming pills made me so poorly that I had to stop taking them,” she explained.

“Plus, I didn’t want to die on the operating table and never meet my nephew, so I decided to join Slimming World instead and I’m so glad I did.”

Maxine struggled with her weight from a young age, after being born with the rare bone disease, Blount’s disease, which affected her mobility.

At her biggest, she found it difficult to walk without crutches.

Maxine turned to food as a form of comfort while struggling with her pain, and while she tried slimming clubs, calorie-controlled shakes, and diets as an adult, she struggled to control her weight.

As well as affecting her self-esteems and confidence, Maxine’s size saw her encounter low energy levels and asthma – as well as worsening her symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome.

But, Maxine – who is a qualified nursery nurse but is unable to work due to her disability – realised she needed to make a change, and began following Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan.

In her first week with the group, she lose an impressive 12 pounds.

Recalling the achievement, she said: “For the first time in my life I felt like there was light at the end of the tunnel.”

Since March 2013, Maxine has lost 17 stone 7.5 pounds, and now weighs in at 10 stone 4.5 pounds, and wears an 8/10 dress size – 13 dress sizes smaller than at her heaviest. Her incredible weight loss has also seen her winning the title of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2018.

How did she do it? The 39-year-old insisted she didn’t follow a diet – but instead, changed her eating habits.

On the plan, she swapped buttery toast, convenience foods, and takeaways for healthy homemade meals.

“It’s not a diet because there’s nothing you can’t have and there’s no need to go hungry,” Maxine insisted.

“I’ve learned how to make the healthiest choices and can even eat out if I want to.

“My favourite dish has to be a Slimming World-style kebab, it’s really satisfying and tastes so naughty but it’s not at all. My husband John enjoys the same meals too now.”

Maxine’s disability means she can’t do much exercise, but since her dramatic weight loss, she’s more active than before – and now loves walking and playing with her young nephew.

She said: “I hope I’m proof to people that there’s never any amount of weight you can’t lose. Everything’s changed.

“I don’t hide away anymore. I always say Slimming World didn’t just save my life, it’s given me life.”

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Ghostly Orange Light Envelopes Earth During Rare Airglow [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Supermassive Black Holes Collide in First-Ever Views of Galactic Merger Final Stages [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Florida Senator Went to Space While in Office, But He May Be Going Home [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Soyuz Rocket Launches European Weather Satellite MetOp-C Into Orbit [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

In Search for Alien Planets, a New Era Will Rise from Kepler’s Demise [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Monster Rifts in Comet Tails Are Sculpted By the Sun [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Europe Is Launching a New Weather Satellite Tonight. Watch It Live! [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA Will Launch a Satellite to Study the Edge of Space Overnight. Here’s How to Watch. [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Wild Idea: What If Interstellar Visitor ‘Oumuamua Is an Alien Light Sail? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Pew! Pew! Pew! Powerful Laser Beacon Could Show Aliens Earth Is Inhabited [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Watch Thousands of Dancing Robots Combine on Dark Energy Instrument (Video) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Under the Roof of the Cosmos, Stargazer Reaches for the Sky (Photo) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Election Day 2018 Takes Absentee Ballots to the Extreme in Space [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Could Life Hitch a Ride on Interstellar Visitors Like ‘Oumuamua? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Soyuz Rocket Successfully Launches Russian Navigation Satellite [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Just Made It’s First Close Pass by the Sun! [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA’s 1st 8K Video from Space Is Just Awesome [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

NASA’s 1st 8K Video from Space Is Just Awesome [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

High-definition video has a new home: the International Space Station. A new video from NASA shows the astronauts working on their experiments, recorded in 8K imagery so clear that it makes it feel like you’re floating right alongside them.

"Microgravity unlocks new worlds of discovery," reads text in the video, which was a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). "The science being conducted aboard the International Space Station is answering questions that hold the keys to our future in space and on Earth."

The rest of the video shows the Expedition 56 crew busily working on experiments aboard the orbiting complex. ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA's Serena Auñón-Chancellor and NASA's Drew Feustel (who has since returned to Earth) feature prominently in the video.

These astronauts look really busy, but they also look like they're having a lot of fun. In between their work tasks, which are often scheduled down to 5-minute increments, the astronauts flash quick smiles to the camera before intensely concentrating again on the task at hand.

And there's a lot of NASA research on offer in the video, in part because the agency advertises opportunities for research in the accompanying video text on YouTube. For instance, Auñón-Chancellor tends to the plants as part of the Plant Habitat-1 experiment, which "comprehensively compares differences in genetics, metabolism, photosynthesis and gravity sensing between plants grown in space and on Earth," according to NASA.

Gerst is shown surrounded by floating objects as part of the SPHERES Tether Slosh experiment. NASA says this investigation "combines fluid-dynamics equipment with robotic capabilities aboard the space station to investigate automated strategies for steering passive cargo that contain[s] fluids."

Feustel, in between commanding the increment, performs work on the ground (or, because there is no up in space, is that the ceiling?) next to Kibo (the Japanese Experiment Module airlock), a facility that can shoot small satellites into space or put experiments out into the vacuum.

In between the astronaut activities, attentive viewers can also catch views of the Cupola — a wraparound window perfect for Earth observations — and the Canadarm2, which is routinely used to capture robotic spacecraft. There also are stunning views of our planet, including a jaw-dropping image of a hurricane.

To learn more about participating in space station research, you can visit this NASA website.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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Susanna Reid diet: How Piers Morgan co-star managed weight loss of a stone [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Susanna Reid diet: How Piers Morgan co-star managed weight loss of a stone [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Susanna Reid revealed in September that she a lost a stone in a week.

The stunning host, 47, may have shocked many when she revealed it was her doctor who prompted her weight loss.

The gorgeous brunette told her co-stars on the ITV programme that she was given a health warning.

Good Morning Britain star Susanna said: “It was a combination of factors, but a doctor said I was at the top end of my BMI.

“He said it might benefit me if I lost a little weight.”

Susanna Reid lost 14 lbs by giving up drinking for September. 

It was Piers Morgan who revealed that Susanna had lost some weight.

He said: “We’ve got a reaction to Susanna’s revelation that she is on a dry September.

“Judy in Richmond says Susanna Reid looks like she’s lost four pounds. It’s actually 12 pounds, since she stopped drinking.”

Susanna then corrected him, adding that she had actually lost a total of 14 pounds.

Piers asked his co-star: “How much have you lost now?”

She replied: “A stone.”

Susanna Reid revealed in January 2017 that she had ditched carbs in a bid to lose weight.

On Good Morning Britain the host reveal she wasn’t eating “processed” carbohydrates.

She said: “I’ve cut a lot of carbohydrate out of my daily eating.

“That’s because I’ve cut out a lot of processed carbohydrate.”

“But you do get a lot of carbohydrates from eating your fruit and veg, don’t you?

“So as long as you can do it in a way that you don’t feel like you’re denying yourself something crucial.”

After Christmas 2016 Susanna revealed she was drinking green smoothies in a bid to shed the pounds.

She said: “Back to pre-Christmas weight! Not a saint when it comes to @gmb #EatMoreLoseMore but trying to make healthier choices. Green smoothies help.”

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Monday, November 5, 2018

November’s New Moon Brings Planetary Conjunctions and a Mercury Treat [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: Snacking on this item before bed can help you lose weight faster [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: Snacking on this item before bed can help you lose weight faster [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Losing weight can be difficult with conflicting advice and different methods according to experts and scientists.

From what times to eat to what foods to eat, it can be difficult to find what works, as it is dependant on each person.

One common tip given by experts is to avoid eating before bed to aid weight loss.

A new study, however, has suggested eating one particular food before bed could speed up the metabolism.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found eating cottage cheese could aid weight loss.

The study was carried out by Florida State University, who examined ten active women in their 20s.

Before they went to bed, they were given 30g (approximately two tablespoons) of cottage cheese between 30 and 60 minutes before bed, or two hours after they ate dinner.

They then measured their resetting energy and the energy they burned while asleep.

In the morning, they found something rather unusual in the women.

When waking up between 5am and 8am, they found the women had improved their metabolic rate and muscle recovery.

This is because cottage cheese contains something called casein – a protein that helps to build muscle and is often found in protein shakes.

The study found cottage cheese was just as successful than if a casein shake was drunk before bed, and weight wasn’t gained.

As it is high in protein and healthy fats, it is also a good option for low carb diets plans.

Professor Ormsbee who conducted the study said: “These data suggest the metabolic response from whole-food protein do not differ from the metabolic response of liquid protein.”

Research contribute and US Air Force dietitian Samantha Leyh added: “While protein supplements absolutely have their place, it is important to begin pooling data for foods and understanding the role they can play in these situations.

“Like the additive and synergistic effects of vitamins and minerals when consumed in whole food form such as fruits or veggies, perhaps whole food sources may follow suit.”

Cottage cheese can also be good for high blood pressure, thanks to being a lower-fat cheese.

The recommended amount of dairy per day is three 30g portions, but not just in cheese.

This should also contain other forms of dairy such as milk and yoghurt in a balanced diet.

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https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/1040684/weight-loss-diet-lose-weight-healthy-snack-bed-cottage-cheese Weight loss: Snacking on this item before bed can help you lose weight faster

[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Weight loss: Snacking on this item before bed can help you lose weight faster

Elon Musk backs Space Force proposal [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

A Deadly, Fast-Spreading Form of Super-Ice Could Be Killing Off Alien Life-Forms [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

A Deadly, Fast-Spreading Form of Super-Ice Could Be Killing Off Alien Life-Forms [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

There's a new kind of ice.

It forms at speeds of more than 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h), it lies deep beneath our feet, it could destroy hopes for alien life, and — finally — scientists understand how it works.

Back in March, researchers writing in the journal Science revealed that they have found the first evidence for this ice, called "Ice VII." Scientists had predicted its existence beforehand. Under the right conditions, it was believed, ice could form in a pool of water without a layer of heat at the leading edge of its growing surface. That — along with super-intense pressures and temperatures — would allow the ice to form without most of the usual brakes that slow its growth, Science Alert reported. It would also have a different crystal structure, or arrangement of atoms. Now, scientists say they've found that elusive ice for the first time in the frozen-water cores of diamonds that bubbled up from deep inside the Earth.

The diamonds, which contained Ice VII, had come from a point inside the planet known as the mantle's "transition zone,"  between 255 miles and 410 miles (410 and 660 kilometers) deep. (The mantle is the rocky layer between Earth's crust and core). And they knew that it had a crystal structure very different from the sort of ice that forms in clouds or lakes or in your freezer. [9 Strange, Scientific Excuses for Why We Haven't Found Alien Life Yet]

But they didn't know precisely how it formed, or what caused it to form that way.

New research, published Oct. 10 in the journal Physical Review Letters, found that there are particular combinations of temperature and pressure at which Ice VII forms. The mysterious Ice VII begins to form at 20,700 times Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level and 40.7 degrees Fahrenheit (4.9 degrees Celsius), and the pressure/temperature combinations get only more intense from there.

This could pose problems for the hunt for alien life, Physics Central reported. Pressure spikes — say, from meteor impacts — could cause the explosive formation of Ice VII on watery planets otherwise suited to alien life. But the mass formation of this cubic ice at ripping speeds would likely prevent any such life from forming or surviving. On worlds where this happens, life could get snuffed out before it really began.

Originally published on Live Science.

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https://www.space.com/42329-ice-vii-forms-fast-in-diamonds.html A Deadly, Fast-Spreading Form of Super-Ice Could Be Killing Off Alien Life-Forms

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Now That Dawn Is History, Should NASA Send Another Mission to Ceres? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Space Force Discussions Increasingly Blur the Line Between Military and Civilian Space [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Sunday, November 4, 2018

For Close-Knit Planets, Sharing Life Could Be Easy [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: The hidden calories in condiments REVEALED – what to use instead [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss: The hidden calories in condiments REVEALED – what to use instead [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Weight loss is something many Britons want to achieve, but it can be hard as winter sets in.

Making healthy meals that taste good and are satisfying can often be a challenge, and many people may rely on sauces and condiments to spice up their meals.

However, these condiments would actually be sabotaging results, often packing in hundreds of extra calories.

How many calories are in the most popular condiments?

When it comes to losing weight every calorie counts, and the simplest thing like adding a spoon of mayonnaise can hike up calorie counts.

Expert nutritionist and dietician behind the Terri-Ann 123 Diet Plan, Ro Huntriss revealed: “When people are trying to lose weight they often consider the food components of the meal without considering the additional sauces and dips.

“Some sauces can be high in fat or sugar which ultimately means they will be higher in calories; this can act as a barrier when people are trying to lose weight.

“Understanding how to make healthy swaps can help to facilitate weight loss whilst keeping your meals tasty and enjoyable.”

Unsurprisingly, mayonnaise topped the list as the most calorie-packed condiment with 94 calories per tbsp.

In second place was Caesar salad dressing, with has a huge in 73 calories per tbsp – with lots of the dressing usually being used.

Another creamy condiment is ranch dressing, which packs in 73 calories per serving.

Also topping the list was BBQ sauce, tartar sauce, salad cream, salsa and cheese sauce.

Ketchup came in as the least calorific condiment with just 19 calories per serving.

According to Ro, Britons can make their own low-calorie sauces, dips and dressings, with just a few tweaks.

For a healthier ranch dressing, puree eight tbsp plain low-fat yoghurt with four tbsp low-fat mayonnaise & sour cream, two tablespoons each chopped chives & dill & one garlic clove; season with salt & pepper.

A light Caesar dressing can be made by mixing eight tbsp plain low-fat yoghurt, two tablespoons grated parmesan & olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, two anchovies & the juice of 1/2 lemon.

A healthy, low-calorie tangy salsa can be made with one small red onion, two tbsp of coriander, four small tomatoes, a sprinkle of chilli finely chopped, two tbsp of cubed cucumber and finely chopped garlic,

On top of making low-calorie condiments, another way to speed up weight loss is by trying the keto diet.

The keto diet has soared in popularity, offering a quick, simple method for Britons to lose weight.

It diet works by sending the body into ketosis, a state when the body burns its own fat stores for energy.

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See SpaceX’s Starman Ride a Tesla Roadster Across Space in These Epic Road Trip Photos [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Orbital Debris Removal Company Astroscale Raises $50 Million [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

2 Big NASA Space Missions Ended This Week, But Don’t Panic [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Gravity Assist Podcast: Planetary Defense with Kelly Fast [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Cold, Dark Stars Lurking in the Universe Could Act Like Single Giant Atoms [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Cold, Dark Stars Lurking in the Universe Could Act Like Single Giant Atoms [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Bizarre, star-like objects that act like single, giant atoms may be hidden throughout the universe, and for the first time, researchers have shown how these strange quantum stars could form.

If these objects do exist, they could help explain dark matter, the unknown stuff that emits no light and yet makes up 27 percent of the universe. They could also be behind bright, fast bursts of cosmic radio waves that have confounded astronomers and even stoked thoughts of alien civilizations.

Unlike regular stars, these so-called axion stars (if they exist) do not shine. They're dark because they're made of hypothetical particles called axions, a primary candidate for dark matter. Different theories predict axions to have a wide range of masses, but overall, they're expected to be extremely light — perhaps as tiny as 10 raised to the 31st power times lighter than a proton. [Strange Quarks and Muons, Oh, My! Nature's Tiniest Particles Dissected]

Axions, if they do exist, would hardly interact with one another, but if gravity can coax them together, they could form a dense sphere with exotic properties unlike those of any other kind of star. That's because axions are bosons, a class of particles that includes particles of light, or photons.

In quantum physics, particles have discrete amounts of energy, meaning the particles exist at particular energy levels. With bosons, multiple particles can be at the same energy level simultaneously, unlike a different class of particle called fermions, which include electrons and protons. In an axion star — or, more generally, a boson star — every axion would be at the lowest energy level, meaning that the entire star would have the same quantum behavior, as if it were a single, giant particle.

Such an exotic object is also known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, a type of matter that physicists create in labs on Earth by cooling atoms to near absolute zero. In the lab, these condensates can also form superfluids, which flow without friction.

Previously, some physicists said that the gravity between the featherweight axions would be too weak to corral the particles into a star, said study co-author Dmitry Levkov, a physicist at the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

 

But new computer simulations, described on Oct. 12 in the journal Physical Review Letters, suggest that axion stars could indeed form quite readily, depending on the mass of the axion. For one relatively heavy axion, called a QCD axion, it might take 1 billion years for an axion star to form. (The QCD axion is a favorite candidate for dark matter among some physicists, because it could also solve a mystery related to the strong force, which holds atomic nuclei together.)

For an extremely light axion — about 100 quadrillion times lighter than the QCD axion and dubbed "fuzzy dark matter" — it could take just 10 million years to build an axion star, Levkov told Live Science.

"It's really interesting that just gravity can help you form Bose-Einstein condensates if given enough time — and that time is less than the age of the universe," Bhupal Dev, a physicist at Washington University in St. Louis who wasn't involved in the research, told Live Science.

Previous simulations started with smaller chunks of axion Bose-Einstein condensates, which then attracted one another via gravity to form axion stars, Levkov said. But in the new simulations, the researchers started with nothing but a gas of axions, and they found that a star formed all on its own. "We were very excited when we saw the Bose-Einstein star," Levkov said. Over time, such a star could continue to accumulate axions and grow.

"It's nice work," said Sebastian Baum, a physicist at Stockholm University in Sweden who wasn't part of the study. "It's an important stepping stone in understanding the story of such objects and, in general, axion dark matter."

If much of the dark matter is contained in these stars, Baum told Live Science, then axions could be rarer elsewhere — and thus harder to find on Earth using detectors like the Axion Dark Matter Experiment at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Axion stars could also produce detectable signals themselves. Axions can decay into photons, and a series of particle reactions from an axion star could produce detectable radiation. And if an axion star slammed into a neutron star, the collision could generate powerful blasts of radio-frequency radiation —potentially explaining the mysterious fast-radio bursts that have perplexed astronomers. Over the last few years, astronomers have detected dozens of powerful cosmic radio signals of unknown origin, prompting a plethora of explanations, including the possibility that the beams were coming from alien civilizations.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Total Lunar Eclipse Gets a Cloudy Halo in Cool Time-Lapse Video [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Friday, November 2, 2018

2018 Full Moon Calendar [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

2018 Full Moon Calendar [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

The moon shows its full face to Earth once a month. Well, sort of.

In fact, the same side of the moon always faces the planet, but part of it is in shadow. And, in reality most of the time the "full moon" is never perfectly full. Only when the moon, Earth and the sun are perfectly aligned is the moon 100 percent full, and that alignment produces a lunar eclipse. And sometimes — once in a blue moon — the moon is full twice in a month (or four times in a season, depending on which definition you prefer). [The Moon: 10 Surprising Facts]

The full moon of November will occur on Friday, Nov. 23, at 12:39 a.m. EDT (0539 GMT), but will appear full the night before and after its peak to the casual stargazer. The November full moon is often known as the Full Beaver Moon, though like all full moons on the calendar it has several other names in different cultures. 

Many cultures have given distinct names to each recurring full moon. The names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. The Farmer's Almanac lists several names that are commonly used in the United States. The almanac explains that there were some variations in the moon names, but in general, the same ones were used among the Algonquin tribes from New England on west to Lake Superior. European settlers followed their own customs and created some of their own names.

This is when full moons will occur in 2018, according to NASA:

Date Name U.S. East UTC
Jan. 1 Wolf Moon 9:24 p.m. 02:24
Jan. 31 Snow Moon 8:27 a.m. 13:27
Mar. 1 Worm Moon 7:51 p.m. 00:51 (3/2)
Mar. 31 Sap Moon 8:37 a.m. 13:37
Apr. 29 Pink Moon 8:58 p.m. 00:58 (4/30)
May 29 Flower Moon 10:20 a.m. 14:20
Jun. 28 Strawberry Moon 12:53 a.m. 04:53
Jul. 27 Buck Moon 4:21 p.m. 20:21
Aug. 26 Sturgeon Moon 7:56 a.m. 11:56
Sep. 24 Harvest Moon 10:53 p.m. 02:53 (9/25)
Oct. 24 Hunter's Moon 12:45 p.m. 16:45
Nov. 23 Beaver Moon 12:39 a.m. 05:39
Dec. 22 Cold Moon 12:49 p.m. 17:49

Other Native American people had different names. In the book "This Day in North American Indian History" (Da Capo Press, 2002), author Phil Konstantin lists more than 50 native peoples and their names for full moons. He also lists them on his website, AmericanIndian.net.

Amateur astronomer Keith Cooley has a brief list of the moon names of other cultures, including Chinese and Celtic, on his website. For example:

Chinese moon names

Month Name Month Name
January Holiday Moon July Hungry Ghost Moon
February Budding Moon August Harvest Moon
March Sleepy Moon September Chrysanthemum Moon
April Peony Moon October Kindly Moon
May Dragon Moon November White Moon
June Lotus Moon December Bitter Moon

Full moon names often correspond to seasonal markers, so a Harvest Moon occurs at the end of the growing season, in September or October, and the Cold Moon occurs in frosty December. At least, that's how it works in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are switched, the Harvest Moon occurs in March and the Cold Moon is in June. According to Earthsky.org, these are common names for full moons south of the equator.

January: Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Mead Moon
February (mid-summer): Grain Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Wyrt Moon, Corn Moon, Dog Moon, Barley Moon
March: Harvest Moon, Corn Moon
April: Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon
May: Hunter’s Moon, Beaver Moon, Frost Moon
June: Oak Moon, Cold Moon, Long Night’s Moon
July: Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Ice Moon
August: Snow Moon, Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
September: Worm Moon, Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, Sap Moon
October: Egg Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon, Pink Moon, Waking Moon
November: Corn Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon, Hare Moon
December: Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon 

Here's how a full moon works:

The moon is a sphere that travels once around Earth every 27.3 days. It also takes about 27 days for the moon to rotate on its axis. So, the moon always shows us the same face; there is no single "dark side" of the moon. As the moon revolves around Earth, it is illuminated from varying angles by the sun — what we see when we look at the moon is reflected sunlight. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, which means sometimes it rises during daylight and other times during nighttime hours.

Here’s how the moon's phases go:

At new moon, the moon is between Earth and the sun, so that the side of the moon facing toward us receives no direct sunlight, and is lit only by dim sunlight reflected from Earth.

A few days later, as the moon moves around Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight. This thin sliver is called the waxing crescent.

A week after new moon, the moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view, what we call first quarter because it is about a quarter of the way around Earth.

A few days later, the area of illumination continues to increase. More than half of the moon's face appears to be getting sunlight. This phase is called a waxing gibbous moon.

When the moon has moved 180 degrees from its new moon position, the sun, Earth and the moon form a line. The moon’s disk is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun, so this is called full moon.

Next, the moon moves until more than half of its face appears to be getting sunlight, but the amount is decreasing. This is the waning gibbous phase.

Days later, the moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. The sun's light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon.

Next, the moon moves into the waning crescent phase as less than half of its face appears to be getting sunlight, and the amount is decreasing.

Finally, the moon moves back to its new moon starting position. Because the moon’s orbit is not exactly in the same plane as Earth’s orbit around the sun, they rarely are perfectly aligned. Usually the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point, but occasionally it passes right in front of the sun, and we get an eclipse of the sun.

Each full moon is calculated to occur at an exact moment, which may or may not be near the time the moon rises where you are. So when a full moon rises, it’s typically doing so some hours before or after the actual time when it’s technically full, but a casual skywatcher won’t notice the difference. In fact, the moon will often look roughly the same on two consecutive nights surrounding the full moon.

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Vans and NASA Put Out Some Cosmic Kicks for 60th Anniversary [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Vans and NASA Put Out Some Cosmic Kicks for 60th Anniversary [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

What do you do when you're one of the hottest brands on the planet? 

If, like Vans, you're running neck and neck with Nike for the title of No. 1 footwear brand among teens — according to investment firm Piper Jaffray's latest survey — there's nowhere to go but up … and up.

Indeed, the California skate-shoe brand is teaming up with no less than NASA on the latest limited-edition Vans collection, which is set to drop online and in Foot Locker stores tomorrow (Nov. 2). 

Vans has decked out two of its most popular silhouettes for the new collection. The Old Skool, a classic plimsoll clad in either "pumpkin suit" orange or spacesuit white, brandishes the stylized NASA "worm" and John F. Kennedy Space Center logotypes on each flank, a U.S. flag attached via fabric fasteners above the heel, and a pull tab on the tongue that says "Shuttle" on the right shoe and "Mission" on the left. 

The second model, the ankle-hugging SK8-HI high-top, comes in black-on-white or white-on-black versions. It flaunts NASA's famous "meatball" insignia, patches for the Apollo 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 missions, and lunar overshoe-like ridges on the midsole.

A product-line sheet, leaked on Reddit, suggests that Vans is also releasing an orange duffel bag and a white, laptop-compatible backpack, both featuring NASA's worm logo, to round out the lineup.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Keto diet weight loss: Blast belly fat fast on the high-fat diet – how does it work? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Keto diet weight loss: Blast belly fat fast on the high-fat diet – how does it work? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

The keto diet is one of the most searched diets of the year, followed by some of the world’s most beautiful and famous people.

Titled the ketogenic diet, the weight-loss plan was invented in the 1920s, but has soared to popularity in recent years.

It is proven to help the follower lose weight fast, and can even be used to reduce visceral fats – also known as belly fat.

It involves turning the body into a fat-burning machine through a tailored diet – how does it work?

How it works

The keto diet works by putting the body into a state of ketosis, where the body burns stored fat instead of carbs.

Ketosis is achieved by following a low-carb, high-fat diet plan, eliminating the body’s normal source of energy – carbs.

Once the body enters ketosis, the liver uses the body’s fatty amidst to make molecules called ketones to burn for fuel.

This causes the body’s fat stores to deplete, with results sped up with fat-burning activities like exercise.

The keto diet is similar in style to the Atkins diet, which is also low carb and high fat.

However, the keto diet is viewed as easier to follow and stick to, as there is no structured diet plan or phases to follow.

What to eat

Because there are no set phases, eating on the keto diet is simpler than people might think.

The only real rule to follow is that carbs are off the menu, with the follower needing to eat less than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day.

Fatty foods are a must, and the keto diet calls on people to eat red meat, double cream, hard cheese, mayonnaise, eggs and butter.

Avocado, vegetables, fruit, along with fish and all meat – including sausages and bacon – are also all on the okay list.

To achieve ketosis, the diet should be 80-90 percent fat, which can be achieved through lots of dairy and avocados.

Another trick for losing weight is drinking apple cider vinegar. 

Apple cider vinegar is becoming more and more popular as a weight-loss method.

The liquid has been used for cooking and to treat ailments for thousands of years, but is now a favourite with slimmers.

When drunk every day, apple cider vinegar is said to blast belly fat, decrease body fat percentage and speed up the metabolism.

Experts have revealed the best time of day to drink apple cider vinegar.

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https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/1039838/Keto-diet-weight-loss-belly-fat-fast Keto diet weight loss: Blast belly fat fast on the high-fat diet – how does it work?

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The 25 Greatest Spaceships of Science Fiction [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

The 25 Greatest Spaceships of Science Fiction [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

The beautiful Infinity base in Halo is not only pretty to look at, but also a useful vessel for getting places. It’s equipped with sublight and translight power, and able to avoid enemy attacks with the use of energy shields, according to Halopedia. The crew on board has the latest in entertainment, including a biosphere (said to rival natural parks on Earth) and a bar, called the Full Moon. To communicate with allies across long distances, Infinity even has superluminal communications capabilities. Now, if only there wasn’t a war to fight, we could really enjoy a nice vacation on this ship.

NEXT: A machine with hidden depths

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https://www.space.com/42312-greatest-spaceships-of-science-fiction.html The 25 Greatest Spaceships of Science Fiction

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Dawn Is Dead: NASA’s Pioneering Asteroid-Belt Mission Runs Out of Fuel [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

This Stuff Is Circling the Drain of Our Galaxy’s Monster Black Hole (Videos) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Thursday, November 1, 2018

NASA Has a Wild Idea to Send 1 Probe to 7 Different Asteroids and It Could Launch In 2021 [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Space Has Always Been Militarized, Just Not Weaponized — Not Yet, Anyway [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Do Not Stop — Go Directly to the Moon, Says Mars Society’s Robert Zubrin with ‘Lunar Direct’ Plan [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Do Not Stop — Go Directly to the Moon, Says Mars Society’s Robert Zubrin with ‘Lunar Direct’ Plan [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

Founder of the Mars Society Robert Zubrin, who has long sought to push humanity toward missions to the Red Planet, has a new idea to send astronauts to the moon faster and cheaper than NASA can. Those travelers would then mine the lunar surface to kick-start a cosmic economy. 

The Moon Direct plan, which Zubrin laid out in today's edition (Oct. 31) of the journal "The New Atlantis," aims to send astronauts directly to the moon, rather than making a pit stop at NASA's planned Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. That space station would orbit the moon and serve as an outpost for crewed missions to the moon, Mars and deep space. 

Zubrin argued that the Gateway is unnecessary and instead suggested building a moon base. This idea, Zubrin argued, would reduce mission propulsion requirements, as well as other costs associated with building and maintaining a lunar gateway. [Moon Base Visions: How to Build a Lunar Colony (Photos)]

"If we want to explore the moon and prepare to go beyond, we don't need a space station in lunar orbit — but we could use a base on the moon itself," Zubrin said in his Moon Direct plan. "A moon base would be much more than a stopping point."

In August, astronomers announced the discovery of water ice on the lunar surface. Mining this natural resource could produce material for hydrogen-oxygen rocket propellant to fuel return trips to Earth, Zubrin said. Also, it could fuel lightweight lunar excursion vehicles (LEV) for long-range surface trips that would allow astronauts to explore additional areas of the lunar surface more efficiently, Zubrin said. 

"This is a powerful propellant that has been a mainstay of rockets for decades, used by the Saturn V and the space shuttle," Zubrin said. "Mining this water and electrolyzing it into hydrogen and oxygen would allow vehicles to refuel on the moon. This would provide the means not only to return from the moon, but also to travel from place to place on the moon, thereby markedly lowering the ongoing cost and increasing the capability of a sustained lunar-exploration program."

Specifically, Zubrin recommended building a lunar base near the moon's poles, which is where water was discovered in shadowed craters. This area also receives the most sunlight, meaning there is a greater potential to harvest solar energy. 

Sending astronauts directly to the moon will also reduce any liabilities of maintaining a space station in lunar orbit and reduce the risks to astronauts, Zubrin said. 

"For the same reason that on Earth we always see the same side of the moon, viewed from the surface of the moon, the Earth is always at the same place in the sky — so the window for the return launch is always open," Zubrin explained. 

However, if we were to use the same lunar orbit rendezvous flight plan that Apollo employed, the launch of the lunar module from the moon's surface would need to be perfectly timed. This would be necessary in order to connect with the orbiter and successfully return to Earth. 

"Further, because the moon lies largely beyond the protection of Earth's magnetic field, astronauts stationed in lunar orbit will receive unnecessary doses of cosmic radiation, violating the principle that radiation doses should be kept as low as reasonably achievable," Zubrin said. "In contrast, there are vast amounts of shielding material readily available on the moon."

Therefore, rather than maintaining a space station in lunar orbit, Zubrin recommended using the LEV to transport astronauts to and from the moon. The LEV would leave the moon and rendezvous with spacecraft in low Earth orbit, such as the International Space Station. In this case, the LEV's crew would transfer to the space station before returning to Earth, and the LEV would refuel and then be used to take another crew back to the moon. 

The Moon Direct plan would consist of three choreographed phases. The first step would require an uncrewed mission to the moon to deliver materials for building the lunar base. Next, crews would fly to the moon to set up the base and begin producing the hydrogen-oxygen propellant. Next, the final, long-term stage would involve recurring piloted missions using the propellant produced on the moon. Zubrin argued that one major benefit of his Moon Direct plan is that it would use systems that are either already available or could be readily adapted from existing technologies.

"The moon itself, not lunar orbit, is where we can do things. It is the potential site for human ingenuity and achievement, the place where resources and discoveries await," Zubin said. "Moon Direct would give NASA, for the first time in decades, a human space program with a clear purpose. It would not only provide valuable experience and insight for an eventual Mars mission, but would [also] give a badly needed boost to public confidence that America can and will remain a nation of pioneers."

A digital copy of Zubrin's full Moon Direct article is available online.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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A Cosmic Dark Knight Rises in Spooky ‘Bat Wing’ Hubble Photo [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘Ask a Spaceman’ Seeks Out the Elusive Quark Star in Finale [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

‘Ask a Spaceman’ Seeks Out the Elusive Quark Star in Finale [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]

After guiding us across the universe, astrophysicist and Space.com columnist Paul Sutter closes his basic astronomy series this week by looking at the arguments for and against the existence of quark stars.

In Episode 12 of the Facebook Watch series "Ask a Spaceman," Sutter continues to explore the topic of these stars, finishing a miniseries that began with Episode 10 and Episode 11. Scientists haven't observed quark stars yet, but the objects may exist. Such a star would be a leftover remnant of a star that exploded and would be packed even more densely than a neutron star; the quark star would have such strong gravity that fundamental particles in the core, such as protons and neutrons, would break down into their constituent parts, called quarks.

"Is there any astrophysical scenario at all that enables them [quark stars] to appear in our universe?" Sutter asks in the new episode. At first, he suggests there might be some things we categorized a dwarf stars that are more dense and massive than what physics would suggest. So, maybe we have seen quark stars, but we can't tell the difference between a quark star and a neutron star — they look too much alike, Sutter says. [Supernova Fail: Giant Dying Star Collapses Straight into Black Hole]

Or perhaps quark stars are "out there" but invisible for some reason, because there appears to be a gap between the most-massive neutron star we see and the least-massive black hole we observe. (The "sweet spot" for the existence of a quark star appears to be two to three times the mass of the sun, Sutter says.) Further, perhaps we haven't been doing telescopic astronomy long enough to see quark stars, which might be extremely rare, he says. 

It's also difficult to predict how to put a quark star together. As Sutter explained in Episode 11, quarks come in six "flavors": up, down, top, bottom, strange and charm. Protons and neutrons are made up of up and down quarks, but if you were to build a quark star out of these quarks, that star would be unstable. Quark stars would stabilize with the addition of strange quarks, but strange quarks are not very common in the universe. It's unclear if the universe has produced enough strange quarks to make quark stars possible, Sutter said.

Sutter closes the latest episode by suggesting about quark stars, "Maybe nature just doesn't make them, because nature isn't as interested as we are." To learn more about quark stars, you can check out Sutter's column about them.

To see all the episodes of the "Ask a Spaceman" Facebook Watch series, check out (and maybe "like") the Facebook page for the show. Sutter also responds to reader questions in every episode. Check the page to learn more about past topics the show has covered, such as the Big Bang, Pluto and galaxy collisions.

Sutter is a cosmologist at The Ohio State University and chief scientist at Columbus Ohio's Center of Science and Industry. He has a long-running podcast, also called "Ask a Spaceman." You can catch all past episodes of that podcast here.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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