Conspiracy theorists believe there is a secret planet
Conspiracy theorists think that there is a hidden planet in out Solar System that will eventually destroy humanity. That's right, conspiracy theorists believe there is a secret ninth planet that was discovered by 19th-century astronomer Percival Lowell. The planet was given the name 'Planet X', also known as Nibiru, by Lowell, who believed the inhabitants of the planet made humans who we are today. Despite Lowell never actually seeing the mystery planet, he was convinced of its existence and left $1 million to fund research about the planet after he passed away in 1916. A hundred years later and all the money spent, it was concluded that the planet never existed. But this hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists from vowing to continue the search. With Caltech professors Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin even going as far as to co-author a paper suggesting the planet exists "I didn't have a particularly strong appreciation for just how difficult would be to find Planet Nine until I started looking together with Mike using telescopes," Professor Batygin told the BBC. "The reason it's such a tough search is because most astronomical surveys are not looking for a single thing." It was initially predicted that Planet X would bring about the end of the world in 2003, but it did not smash into Earth as had been suggested. In 2012 it was again predicted that the planet would collide with Earth at the end of the year, which I don't need to tell you, did not happen. Dr Scott Sheppard and Professor Chad Trujillo sought to explain a strange cluster of six small objects in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune back in 2014. They suggested that a large planet was lurking in the solar system, with Dr Sheppard saying: "These distant objects are like breadcrumbs leading us to Planet X. 'The more of them we can find, the better we can understand the outer Solar System and the possible plant that we think is shaping their orbits - a discovery that would redefine our knowledge of the Solar System's evolution." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-16 18:19
Lina Khan's rise was heralded as an antitrust revolution. Now she has to pull it off
When the Federal Trade Commission and 17 states sued Amazon last month in a landmark antitrust case, Lina Khan, chair of the FTC, described it as a "cutting-edge" lawsuit that captures "state-of-the-art thinking" about modern monopolies in the tech industry.
2023-10-16 17:54
TikTok steps up efforts to counter misinformation about Israel-Hamas war
TikTok is stepping up efforts to counter misinformation, incitement to violence and hate relating to the Israel-Hamas war on its online platform, it announced Sunday, days after the European Union (EU) warned social media companies they risked falling foul of the bloc's content moderation laws.
2023-10-16 17:54
Top banker Mustier takes over as crisis-hit Atos chairman
By Mathieu Rosemain (Reuters) -Banking big-shot Jean-Pierre Mustier is taking over the helm of Atos' board of directors, the crisis-hit
2023-10-16 15:50
Australia issues $386,000 fine against X over failure to cooperate with child sex abuse probe
Australia on Monday issued a fine of $610,500 Australian dollars ($386,000) against the company formerly known as Twitter for "falling short" in disclosing information on how it tackles child sex abuse content, in yet another setback for the Elon Musk-owned social media platform.
2023-10-16 15:19
Japan chip tool maker Kokusai Electric raises $724 million in IPO
By Mariko Katsumura, Sam Nussey and Miho Uranaka TOKYO (Reuters) -Chip equipment maker Kokusai Electric has raised $724.4 million after
2023-10-16 14:51
Exclusive-US tackles loopholes in curbs on AI chip exports to China
By Karen Freifeld The U.S. will take steps to prevent American chipmakers from selling products to China that
2023-10-16 08:19
TikTok details disinformation steps taken after EU demand
BRUSSELS Short video app TikTok said on Sunday it had immediately mobilised resources and personnel to counter hate
2023-10-15 18:57
Hamas' cash-to-crypto global finance maze in Israel's sights
By Hadeel Al Sayegh, John O'Donnell and Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON/DUBAI Palestinian militant group Hamas uses a global financing
2023-10-15 04:19
The Israel-Hamas war reveals how social media sells you the illusion of reality
As the Israel-Hamas war reaches the end of its first week, millions have turned to platforms including TikTok and Instagram in hopes of comprehending the brutal conflict in real time. Trending search terms on TikTok in recent days illustrate the hunger for frontline perspectives: From "graphic Israel footage" to "live stream in Israel right now," internet users are seeking out raw, unfiltered accounts of a crisis they are desperate to understand.
2023-10-15 00:49
Older people could see a surprising health benefit from having an active sex life
A US study has revealed that sexual activity in older people is linked to better cognitive function later. The study by sociologists Shannon Shena from Hope College and Hui Liub from Purdue University, published in The Journal of Sex Research looked at attention, memory, language, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation and found that sex is linked to better brain health across all age groups. Those aged 75 to 90 were found to have significantly better cognitive function five years on if they were currently having sex at least once a week. For adults aged 62 to 74, on the other hand, the most important factor for future brain health was the quality of sex being had, in terms of both physical and emotional aspects. "As seen in our sample, promoting sexual quality among younger-old couples may be a way to combat the interruptions which people anticipate to come with aging," Shena and Luib said "and these feelings of sexual quality may manifest in their later cognitive health." Shena and Liub think there are several reasons why these results could be the case. Sex involves physical exercise, which means improved cognitive performance may be due to improved cardiovascular health, which, in turn, can increase blood flow to the brain and reduce inflammation. Sex can also reduce stress, and stress is thought to prevent the neuronal growth in some parts of the brain associated with memory. Finally, sex may improve cognitive function through the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter linked to improved memory. "Our findings help to contextualize a multifaceted understanding of healthy aging and speak to clinical practices and policy decisions regarding cognitive health," Shena and Luib wrote, "and in particular how it may be related to sexual life, an often overlooked area for older adults." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-14 20:23
Musk's X illegally fired worker challenging office return -US labor board
(Reuters) -Elon Musk's X illegally fired an employee in retaliation for her internet posts challenging its return-to-office policy, the U.S.
2023-10-14 05:54