Category: AP

Picture was clear, but black hole’s name a little fuzzy

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The newly pictured supermassive black hole is a beast with no name, at least not an official one. And what happens next could be cosmically confusing.

The team of astronomers who created the image of the black hole called it M87(asterisk). (The asterisk is silent.) A language professor has given it a name from a Hawaiian chant Powehi meaning “the adorned fathomless dark creation.” And the international group in charge of handing out astronomical names? It has never named a black hole.

The black hole in question is about 53 million light years away in the center of a galaxy called Messier 87, or M87 for short. On Wednesday, scientists revealed a picture they took of it using eight radio telescopes, the first time humans had actually seen one of the dense celestial objects that suck up everything around them, even light.

The International Astronomical Union usually takes care of names, but only for stuff inside our solar system and stars outside it. It doesn’t have a committee set up to handle other objects, like black holes, galaxies or nebulas.

The last time there was a similar situation, poor Pluto somehow got demoted to a dwarf planet, leading to public outcry, said Williams College astronomer Jay Pasachoff, a star-naming committee member.

Technically, our own galaxy the Milky Way has never been officially named by the IAU, said Rick Fienberg, an astronomer and press officer for the American Astronomical Society. He said, “that’s just a term that came down through history.” “Virtually every object in the sky has more than one designation,” Fienberg said. “The constellations have their official IAU sanctioned names but in other cultures, they have other names.”

THE GIFT OF A NAME

When it comes to the black hole we saw this week , University of Hawaii-Hilo Hawaiian professor Larry Kimura stepped up even before the photo was unveiled.

Powehi (pronounced poh-veh-hee) is the black hole’s Hawaiian name, not its official name, explained Jessica Dempsey, who helped capture the black hole image as deputy director of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s tallest mountain.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige proclaimed April 10 as Powehi day, she said.
“This isn’t astronomers naming this,” she said.

“This is coming from a cultural expert and language expert. This is him coming to the table and giving us a gift of this name. It’s a gift from Hawaiian culture and history, not the other way around.”

When asked about Kimura’s idea, IAU naming committee member Pasachoff said: “That’s the first I heard of it.” Eric Mamajek, chairman of the IAU working group on star names, called it a “wonderful, thoughtful name.”

But Mamajek said his committee may not be the right one to grant the black hole a name. It only does stars.

“This is exactly the Pluto situation,” Pasachoff said.

In 2006, astronomers at the IAU were discussing naming a large object in our solar system that eventually got called Eris. It wasn’t considered a planet, so it wasn’t the job of the planet committee. But some experts pointed out that it was bigger than Pluto, which added some confusion.

The conference decided to reclassify planets, kicked Pluto out of the club of regular planets and made it join the newly established dwarf planets category with Eris, Pasachoff said.

The same day the photograph of the black hole was unveiled, the IAU asked the public to choose between three names for an object astronomers call 2007 OR10. It’s an icy planetesimal that circles the sun but gets 100 times further from our star than Earth does.

The three proposed names are Gonggong, a Chinese water god with red hair and a serpent tail; Holle, a European winter goddess of fertility; and Vili, a Nordic deity and brother of Odin.

The IAU is trying to bring in more languages and cultures into the naming game, Pasachoff and Fienberg said. And soon the IAU will ask the public to help name 100 planets outside our solar system.

As astronomers gaze further into the cosmos, Pasachoff said, “we will need more names.”

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No money to travel? Find places to stay for next to nothing

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Credit card rewards can be your ticket — literally your plane ticket — to a dream destination. But even if you’ve earned what you need to get to where you’re going, the accommodations could be a different story.

What do you do if you don’t have enough points or miles left for lodging?

You can slash those costs, too, if you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone. That might mean couch surfing with locals, agreeing to a home exchange or signing up for house sitting. Websites and apps can help you connect with frugal options domestically and abroad. You may be able to stay for free, or nearly free, if you’re flexible with dates and can abide by house rules.

COUCH SURFING

This option works for solo travelers or couples looking to make new friends over a few nights. Since you’re staying in someone’s home, you’ll likely need to “check in and out” at reasonable hours and clean up after yourself .

For Alexander Salas, who runs the YouTube channel Alex Travelbum, giving up some freedom is worth it. He uses the app from Couchsurfing.com, which has allowed him to sleep in 15 countries for free. His trip to Naples, Italy, was the most memorable, he says.

“I stayed with this woman who was just the most generous, nice person in the world, and we’re still friends till this day,” Salas says. “She made me all of this authentic Italian food and took me around town.”

HOME EXCHANGES

This option offers more privacy since you’ll swap your home temporarily with someone else.

Melissa Conn, blogger at The Family Voyage , uses the GuestTo Guest website. This service charges about $11 a night or around $147 annually (and you’ll have to pay a damage deposit). The host may also include additional charges or requests.

“Some hosts charge a cash cleaning fee,” Conn says. Other places, “they’ll just leave a list of the five things that they want you to do before leaving. And then some people just say, ‘Leave it tidy.'”

You can offset the costs of such services by cooking in the kitchen to save money on meals. Some homeowners even let you borrow their car, Conn says.

HOUSE SITTING

If you don’t mind pets or a few chores while you travel, you can see the world for less.

Nik and Angel Rowell, YouTubers at Roadtrip with Nik, have traveled to Costa Rica and several U.S. states, among other destinations. They frequently use Trustedhousesitters.com, which also has an app and charges $119 for an annual membership.

They suggest considering the responsibilities of each house sit beforehand and how it might affect your stay.

“If you have a week long house sit in Hawaii that included caring for a dog that needed to go out in the morning, afternoon and evening, you wouldn’t be able to go explore the island all day long,” Nik Rowell says.

Wherever you stay, communicate with the host to match your expectations to the experience. If you need a kitchen or Wi-Fi, for example, ask whether you’ll have access.

TAKE PRECAUTIONS

If you’re staying with strangers, screen them first. Some subscription services have a verification process, but it’s not always as robust as a traveler might like.

Amanda Kelly, solo traveler and content creator at Amanda Round The Globe, generally seeks female hosts when she couch surfs. During a trip to Belgium, she says, she was deceived by a man pretending to be a female host.

“After that experience, I did take a lot more precautions by checking the reviews a lot more,” she says.

Other best practices:

– Look for hosts who have several positive references, photos and detailed descriptions.

– See how your host behaves on social media.

– Set up a video meet-and-greet.

– Make sure you’re on the same page with house rules and expectations of privacy.

– Tell a family member or friend where you’re staying.

– Have a plan B in case the accommodations aren’t a good fit.

If that sounds like too much hassle — or if you’re just not interested in a stranger’s couch, house or chores — consider ways to save on more traditional accommodations.

Join a hotel loyalty program, for example, or consider applying for a hotel credit card . The right one can earn you rewards toward future stays, and many cards even offer a free anniversary night, usually in exchange for an annual fee.

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Trump imposes tariffs on $200 billion more of Chinese goods

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies and raising prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires.

The tariffs will start at 10 percent and rise to 25 percent starting Jan. 1. President Donald Trump decided to begin taxing the imports — equal to nearly 40 percent of goods China sold the United States last year — after a public comment period.

China has said it’s ready to impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods. The US had already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports. Trump initiated the fight to punish Beijing for what he says are China’s predatory tactics to try to supplant US technological supremacy.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Time magazine sold for $190 million to couple

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Time Magazine is being sold by Meredith Corp. to Marc Benioff, a co-founder of Salesforce, and his wife, it was announced Sunday.

Meredith announced that it was selling Time magazine for $190 million in cash to Benioff, one of four co-founders of Salesforce, a cloud computing pioneer.

Meredith had completed the purchase of Time along with other publications of Time Inc. earlier this year.

The Benioffs are purchasing Time personally, and the transaction is unrelated to Salesforce.com, where Benioff is chairman and co-CEO and co-founder. The announcement by Meredith said that the Benioffs would not be involved in the day-to-day operations or journalistic decisions at Time. Those decisions will continue to be made by Time’s current executive leadership team, the announcement said.

“We’re pleased to have found such passionate buyers in Marc and Lynne Benioff for the Time brand,” Meredith president and CEO Tom Harty said in a statement. “For over 90 years, Time has been at the forefront of the most significant events and impactful stories that shape our global conversation.”

Meredith, the publisher of such magazines as People and Better Homes & Gardens, had put four Time Inc. publications up for sale in March. Negotiations for the sale of the three other publications — Fortune, Money and Sports Illustrated — are continuing.

The prospective sale is expected to close within 30 days. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Benioff said he and his wife were investing “in a company with tremendous impact on the world, one that is also an incredibly strong business. That’s what we’re looking for when we invest as a family.”

The purchase of Time by Benioff continues a trend of acquisitions of old-line media institutions by wealthy tech giants. The Washington Post was purchased by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2013 for $250 million.

Time, like other magazines, has struggled with continued declines in print advertising and newsstand sales.

Started by Yale University graduates Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, Time first went on sale in March 1923.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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App Store Official Charts for the week ending June 24, 2018:

Top Paid iPhone Apps:

1. Bloons TD 6, Ninja Kiwi

2. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

3. Minecraft. Mojang

4. Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations

5. Facetune, Lightricks Ltd.

6. iSchedule, HotSchedules

7. PlantSnap Plant Identification, PlantSnap, Inc.

8. Goat Simulator, Coffee Stain Publishing

9. Dark Sky Weather, Jackadam

10. Afterlight 2, Afterlight Collective, Inc

Top Free iPhone Apps:

1. Hole.io, Voodoo

2. Instagram, Instagram, Inc.

3. YouTube: Watch, Listen, StreamGoogle, Inc.

4. Telemundo Deportes – En Vivo, NBCUniversal Media, LLC

5. Helix Jump,Voodoo

6. Messenger, Facebook, Inc.

7. Snapchat, Snap, Inc.

8. Facebook, Facebook, Inc.

9. Fortnite, Epic Games

10. Google Maps – GPS Navigation, Google, Inc.

Top Paid iPad Apps:

1. Minecraft, Mojang

2. Bloons TD 6, Ninja Kiwi

3. Procreate, Savage Interactive Pty Ltd

4. Notability,Ginger Labs

5. Toca Mystery House,Toca Boca AB

6. Goat Simulator, Coffee Stain Publishing

7. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB

8. GoodNotes 4, Time Base Technology Limited

9. LEGO Jurassic World, Warner Bros.

10.Goat Simulator PAYDAY, Coffee Stain Publishing

Top Free iPad Apps:

1. Hole.io, Voodoo

2. Helix Jump, Voodoo

3. Love Balls, Super Tapx

4. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream, Google, Inc.

5. Fortnite, Epic Games

6. Netflix, Netflix, Inc.

7. DIY Fashion Star, Baby Education Animal Weather Toys LTD.

8. Rise Up, Serkan Ozyilmaz

9. Tank Stars, Playgendary

10.Color Road!,Voodoo

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Shortage of carbon dioxide raises concern among beer enthusiasts in Europe

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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No beer at this time of year?

A British trade group says there’s a shortage of carbon dioxide in Northern Europe, sparking fears that drinks may lack fizz just as thirsty soccer fans fill pubs for the World Cup.

Gavin Partington, director-general of the British Soft Drinks Association, says the shortage is due to the closure of several production sites for various reasons, including seasonal maintenance. But industry publication Gasworld says the situation is worse this year because normal maintenance has coincided with technical issues at chemical plants that also produce carbon dioxide.

That shortage comes just as the World Cup is getting underway in Russia, driving up demand for beer and soft drinks. The British Beer and Pub Association predicts England fans will drink an extra 14 million pints during the group stages of the tournament, which last about two weeks.

“We will continue to monitor the situation carefully,” said Brigid Simmonds, the group’s chief executive. “However, given the time of year and the World Cup, this situation has arisen at an unfortunate time for the brewing industry.”

The shortage could also affect meat producers, who may have trouble preserving some fresh foods.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Elite Gurkhas deployed by Singapore for the security of Trump-Kim summit

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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To protect one of the highest-profile diplomatic events so far this century, Singapore has enlisted the help of its fearsome Nepalese fighters whose large curved knives, according to custom, must “taste blood” whenever they’re drawn.

Wearing brown berets and equipped with body armor and assault rifles, the elite Gurkha police officers are a conspicuous part of the enveloping security force Singapore has deployed for Tuesday’s summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The meeting, which could prove to be a crucial moment in the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, has sent the highly manicured city-state into security overdrive. Trump and Kim have brought their own personal security personnel and heavily armored limousines; Kim’s bodyguards have been seen running in formation alongside his massive Mercedes.

Selected among young men from impoverished Nepal, Gurkhas have been part of Singapore’s police force since 1949. There are reportedly about 1,800 Gurkha officers in Singapore, and they are a regular presence at high-security events. On Monday, they were seen standing guard at the heavily fortified St. Regis Singapore, where Kim arrived Sunday afternoon.

“This is a moment of pride to see the Gurkhas responsible for guarding such an important event,” said Krishna Kumar Ale, who served for 37 years in the British army before retiring back home in Nepal. “It shows that we Gurkhas have reached a point where we are trusted with the security of two of the most important people in the world.”

In 2015, during the Shangri-la Dialogue, a Singapore summit that includes defense ministers and top security officials from around the world, a Gurkha officer shot and killed a driver after his car breached a series of roadblocks outside the summit’s venue. The incident turned out to be drug-related, not an attack.

When asked about the scale of security operations for the summit, Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said Sunday that more than 5,000 police had been deployed. The Gurkha Contingent is a special police unit inside the force.

“I think the fact that it had to be put together in two weeks … added tremendously to the pressure and logistics, the demands. But I think the officers have worked around the clock, we are quietly confident that they have put in place the preparations,” he said.

Singapore is not new to hosting high-profile events, including International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group meetings, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations summits in 2007 and 2018.

Gurkhas, whose name derives from the Nepalese hill town of Gorkha, have been deployed in major conflicts and wars since becoming part of the British army in the 19th century. More than 200,000 Gurkhas fought in the two world wars, where they won admiration for their combat skills and bravery, living up to their traditional motto “It’s better to die than to be a coward.” Gurkhas also fought in the Falklands conflict, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

The British experienced Gurkhas’ fierceness firsthand after suffering heavy losses during their invasion of Nepal. A peace deal signed by the British East India Company in 1815 allowed Britain to recruit troops from Nepal.

After Indian independence in 1947, Britain, Nepal and India reached an agreement to transfer four Gurkha regiments to the Indian army. Former British colonies Singapore and Malaysia have also employed Gurkhas for their police and army, respectively.

In Nepal, getting picked to serve as Gurkha soldiers and officers overseas is seen as a ticket out of poverty. According to Nepal’s Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen Organization, over 10,000 applicants try out every year for about 260 places in the British army’s Gurkha units. Many train for months for the selection process, which includes a grueling “doko” race, which involves carrying 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of sand while running a steep 4.2-kilometer (2.6-mile) uphill course.

Along with their modern weapons, Gurkhas still carry the traditional “kukri,” a long curved knife which tradition says must “ragat khaikana” — taste blood — once it is drawn.

“That is no longer the current practice … mostly,” said the Gurkhas Australia website.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow