#Solar system issue detection

[ecosoch]

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[itmeansiris]

The Solar System Legacy Challenge: Lieutenant Gen 1 pt.94

Brindleton's finest returned to the precinct after their visit to the hospital. While they were gone, officer Till and the desk clerk managed to get Paris booked, which proved to be time-consuming. During the process, they came across her extensive wrap sheet. Her Brindelton record was mostly misdemeanors for disorderly conduct and DUIs, but her San Myshuno record was at least 3 pages long and held some pretty violent crimes and that didn't include the portions that seemed to have been redacted or needed special clearance to access.

Of course, she behaved as expected. Officer Till ended up needing to take her mugshot more than once, having to remind her repeatedly that it wasn't a photoshoot. After a few too many "test shots" she finally cooperated. Annoyed, he hastily ushered her over to the fingerprint scanner.

Officer Till: Hold still. I don’t feel like doing this twice.

As Till finished up, Adler ran into Lieutenant Gordon as he wandered into the lobby.

Ofc Adler: Good evening Lieutenant, busy week huh. Were you…on your way out?

Conrad sighed, the crease in his brow said it all. Brindleton PD had been busier than usual. Crime in the bay was usually non-existence, but lately, trouble had been brewing all over. There was a continued issue with dock security and then a body had turned up. There were hushed whispers amongst the higher shields that the Cartel could be involved, but Alder didn’t go snooping where he wasn’t welcomed.

He also didn't want to add to Conrad's already full plate, but he’d told Kason he would get help. The chief was in, so who better than Brindleton PD's rising star.

Ofc Adler: If not, do you have a couple minutes to spare? I know you're busy, but something happened when we went to the hospital.

Conrad mentally groaned. He already had some much to do, but he held a slight personal interest considering his stepson attended the same school as the Gratz kids.

Lieu. Gordon: Sure, I was going to hit the bags upstairs. We can talk there.

After he briefed Lieutenant Gordon on the matter, Adler excused himself beelining for the holding cells, leaving Conrad alone to pummel the punching bags in the weight room. It was evident that the Lieutenant was taking out his frustrations on the bag and Adler wanted to give him the privacy he was desperately craving. When he reached the area housing the cells he slowed his pace, checking each one for the wily Redhead. He stopped at the last cell lining the row, inside Paris sat on the sole cot in a bare cell, but an officer was unlocking the door.

Alder: What the hell are you doing? What's going on? Why are you moving her?

Officer: Detective Hana told me to take her to interrogation 2. Take it up with him.

Adler: Since when has Detective Hana called the shots here? Does the Chief know? I will.

Paris entered the scarcely furnished room. Detective Hana stood from his seat and gestured to the only other seat in the room.

Det. Hana: Ms. Amyot, please have a seat.

Paris looked around the room in boredom.

Paris: Do you have my cigarettes?

Det. Hana: You can’t smo-

Paris: My cigarettes.

He sighed while reaching to remove an unopened box from his pocket and relinquished it to Paris along with a book of matches.

Paris: Good boy.

Detective Hana bit back a response to her taunting comment. He folded his arms and donned a stonic expression hoping to appear unfazed.

Det. Hana: Now, Ms. Amyot I’d like-

Paris: Cut the detective act Kane. What do you want?

Det. Hana: I want to know what happened.

Paris: I thought that was squared away. Didn’t you talk to him?

Hana fidgeted before briefly glancing at the mirror on the wall to his right.

Det. Hana: I don't know what you mean.

Paris: YOU were supposed to SPEAK to Kason, Kane. I swear to the watcher you people are useless.

Det Hana: Ms. Amyot, first I'll have to ask you to refrain from using my first name. Next, I'm asking the questions and I want you to tell me what happened.

Paris: Are you some kind of an idiot? Didn’t you talk to my father?

Det. Hana: You can make a phone call once we are done here. I will try and get someone to contact your family in the meantime, but I need you to please answer my questions. We don’t have much time.

Hana's words came out forced and a light sheen of sweat had broken out across his skin as his eyes darted to the right, the last bit of the sentence he’d mouthed. Paris looked over at the mirror and then back at Hana. His distress finally registered but it only made Paris irritable.

Paris: Seriously? I forgot about the two-way glass. Why should I care who’s on the other side?

Hana's eyes grew pledging. Paris stared at the window as she took a drag of her cigarette, that all too familiar grin on her face.

Paris: Fine I'll play along, but I want to speak to my father Detective, tonight. What do you want to know?

Det. Hana: Start with how you know the Gratz.

Paris: I worked with Kason at Bay Robotics. Mars was just an annoyance I inherited when I got the job and the guy.

Det. Hana: Mars?

Paris: Mercury. Mars. Whatever! Who the hell names their kid after a space rock. Her parents must be hippies or something.

He ignored her rant trying to stay on topic.

Det. Hana: When did you "Get the guy" as you put it?

Paris: Our attraction was instant, but I kept my distance for a while cause I knew he was married. Once we went to Newcrest alone I couldn't resist anymore and he let me know it didn't matter that he was married because he wanted out anyway.

Det. Hana: Were you and Mr.Gratz..intimate on this trip?

Paris: oh Kane, wouldn't you like to know. Let's just say we got to know each other better.

She whispered to ensure anyone outside the room wouldn't hear her. A light blush spread across Hana's cheeks.

Det. Hana: Was that when the two of you became an official couple?

Paris: Yes and no. We were official, but we weren't public. He hadn't left his wife yet, obviously. But we were official in all the ways that counted Detective.

Detective Hana balled his hands into tight fist, visibly agitated by her last statement.

Det. Hana: Let's move on. Tell me when you and Mrs. Gratz had your first face-to-face encounter.

Paris: That's easy. The bitch showed up at the airport like a dog in heat. The moment we landed she was waiting outside the gate with her tongue out and her tail wagging.

Det. Hana: Did you exchange any words at that time?

Paris: Sure, but nothing I can remember now.

Hana nodded.

Det. Hana: Did you and Mr.Gratz maybe discuss when he was going to leave his wife? Didn't you wonder what was going to happen with his children? I can't imagine you raising anyone.

He scoffed.

Paris: What did you say?

Hana realized he'd allowed that last comment to slip out and scrambled to cover it up.

Det Hana: I just meant that you seem young to suddenly become stepmother to 4 small children is all. You would have to give up so much.

Paris's eyes narrowed and her tone was harsh.

Paris: Watch yourself detective. I'm not the only one who has done unspeakable things. I'm sure there are people who couldn't imagine you making detective first-grade. Yet here you are. I'm sure they would interested in how you achieved such a feat.

As the interrogation continued, Lieutenant Gordon received a text from Adler as he heated a frozen pastry from the precincts readily stocked but dubious selection of foods from the fridge. It was late and he'd been chasing ghost all day on another case, but the text had him shoveling the poorly heated pastry down his throat in a rush to get to the interrogation room. The text read:

Alder: Kane's has her in interrogation .Detective Wilks, and Hale are sitting in with me, but you should probably get down here, something doesn't seem right.

When Conrad arrived outside the observation room it was full. Adler stood behind an empty chair, arms folded across his chest with a frown. Conrad surveyed the small group trying to get a feel of their intentions, they all wore expressions ranging from confused to frustrated as they all watched the scene playing out behind the two-way mirror.

Lieu. Gordon: What’s going on in there?

Detective Wilks stood at the back of the room his brown hair was disheveled from raking his hand through it one too many times. Wilks didn’t take his eyes off the glass as he answered, obviously vexed by the circumstances.

Det. Wilks: It would seem, Detective Hana has decided for the entire department that he would be the one doing the Amyot interview. I’d like to know who gave him permission? The Chief made it clear: get her paperwork done and then she'd assign someone to do the interrogation tomorrow.

They all murmured in agreement.

Lieu. Gordon: No one cleared him. Amyot wasn’t supposed to have contact with anyone of us until tomorrow.

Det. Hale: Clearance isn't the only issue here Lieu.

Det. Wilks: Should we stop him, Lieutenant?

Lieutenant Gordon: No. I need to see what happens before we do anything else.

Conrad took a seat in the empty chair in front of Alder, listening intently to the conversation filtering into the speakers that connected the observation room to the interrogation room. Hana hadn’t thought to turn them off, causing Conrad to hesitate with his suspicions. Any level officer would have thought to turn off the microphone, so maybe he wasn’t hiding anything.

Paris: I told him we could let their grandparents adopt them, his or hers. It made no difference to me honestly, but he said that wouldn’t work. He's only entitled to part of her life's earnings, if they didn’t go too we wouldn’t get all the money. The kids have the larger share, thus how they became included in the deal. I'm no brat killer, but he insisted. He might as well have been foaming at the mouth as he talked about it. How could I say no?

Det. Hana: Would you have jumped off a bridge or killed yourself if he had asked Pa- Ms. Amyot?

Paris: Hmm? Maybe I would have. Have you seen him? Blonde hair, green eyes, athletic build without being too muscular and have you heard him speak, uugh it’s like honey over a fresh piece of bread, deep and rich. What about that says to say no.

She shrugged as she took another long drag from her cigarette. Kane fanned his hand through the air trying to clear some of the smoke away.

Det. Hana: Ugh, do you need to smoke that?

Paris: Yes. Next question.

Det. Hana: Why were you the one put up to the task? I mean from what you said, it was his idea. So why didn't he do the dirty work? He had constant access to his wife and the kids. Wouldn't it have been easier for him to kill his own family?

Paris: Let's just say I was better suited for the job. You should know. Besides they always blame the husband first, how could I let him take the blame for it all.

She droned in an antagonizing tone.

Det. Hana: At least in this instant we would have had it right and you...you would have been off the hook. Clear and free to live your life and love whoever you wanted after, but now...

Lieu. Gordon: Am I the only one getting the sense they know each other?

Ofc Adler: That's what I was telling Hale before you showed up. Something is going on between them. Amyot was calling him Kane like they’re old friends.

Det. Hale: I wouldn’t call their interaction friendly, but they are definitely familiar with one another.

She interjected.

Ofc Adler: She also mentioned him speaking to Mr. Gratz at the hospital. She couldn’t have known he was going to interview Gratz, we were assigned the task after she arrived. She never could have known it would be him, there are at least 5 other detectives here.

Lieu.Gordon: Unless he’s working with her somehow. Did anyone see Hana interact with Amyot when she arrived? We need to be absolutely sure. In the meantime, I'm putting an end to this charade before he puts the whole department at risk. Wilks, put Amyot back in holding with the other ladies. I want a transcript of their interview on my desk tomorrow morning, and someone check the camera's, we can't let this interview ruin the investigation so we need to get ahead of this. I'm going to have a word with Hana.

Det. Hana: So after all that what do you get out of the deal? Hmm? The kids are alive and for the moment so is his wife, so there goes the money. He's out there, free and worried about his family not you, while you're here in a bleak grey room wearing an orange jumpsuit. You said you did this all so you and him could be together, yet I don't see him in our precinct demanding you be freed. So was it worth it? Was he everything you hoped for?

Paris finally took a seat. She slowly pulled out another cigarette and slid it between her lips. She struck the match against the book that Hana had given her, engulfing the cigarette end with the small orange flame. She took a pull and blew the smoke in Detective Hana's direction as she ashed the tip onto the floor with no regard. He coughed and swiped his hand threw the air in disgust, trying to clear the smoke once more.

Paris: Detective, have you ever been in love? [Blows smoke] I mean the kind that your body understands before your brain. Where you can't sleep or eat. The thought of living without that person isn't even an option? I guess not considering the lack of a ring on your finger and the fact that you are working late during the holidays. I can assume that means there isn't anyone at home keeping the bed warmed up for you.

She taunted as she donned her usual nefarious smile.

Paris: You see love can make you do things you normally wouldn't. I'm a very passionate woman Detective. When I love, I love hard. Very few men have had and will have the pleasure of being loved by me. You know how that feels don’t you Kane.

Det. Hana: Sounds like you’re borderline obsessed if you ask my opinion. Maybe you made this whole thing up because he didn’t want you after all.

He snapped back. His patience was wearing thin and he was starting to losing his cool the more she mocked him.

Paris: Obsessed! Now that’s priceless coming from you, considering the way you chas-

Det. Hana: Shut your mouth!

He called out through clenched teeth just as the door shut with a heavy thud.

Lieu. Gordon: No Ms. Amyot please finish. I'd like to hear the end of that statement.

Hana: Lieutenant Gordon!

Hana tried to mask his surprise. Before Conrad could ask him a question he started babbling an explanation.

Det. Hana: I was just trying to get a start on the Amyot, Gratz case. Wanna be sure we don't miss anything. Plus the desk clerk said they had some issues with her, I was hoping to straighten them out.

Lieu. Gordon: With who's authorization?

Det. Hana: Well.. I just... No ones, sir. But, I was sent to take Mr. Gratz's statement so I figured I was assigned to be lead on this case.

When Hana and Adler had been sent to speak to Kason at the hospital the chief had simply assigned them to gather his statement and return. Detective Hana had never officially been assigned to the case, but it hadn't stopped him from telling everyone including Kason that he was the lead detective.

Lieu. Gordon: Detective Wilks will be here shortly to escort Ms. Amyot to holding. Meet me upstairs.

Det. Hana: But, I haven't finished the-

Conrad's expression stopped him mid sentence.

Det. Hana: Yes sir. I should let Wilks know she should be put in the empty holding cell at the end.

Conrad's frown deepened to a scowled.

Lieu. Gordon: She is to be put in a shared holding cell with the other ladies. Unless, there’s a reason you’ve separated her from the others?

Det. Hana: N-no sir.

Lieu. Gordon: Good. Then lets go. This interview is over.

Hana hesitated as Conrad held the door and waited for him to exit first. Conrad pulled the door shut behind him without a word to Paris, leaving her to wait for detective Wilks to come and fetch her.

Upstairs in an empty office Conrad laid into Hana.

Lieu.Gordon: Do you have any idea what you've potentially done?! That interview and the sketchy one at the hospital could be the difference between a landslide win and a dog fight in court. How do you know her?

Det. Hana: I don't. I was simply doing my job.

He answered defiantly.

Lieu. Gordon: A job no one assigned to you. You took it upon yourself to interview a suspect you were not asked to. Not to mention your very interesting trip to the hospital, where you were supposed to take a statement, but instead turned a victim into a suspect. Where did you get any of that information from Kane? No one was supposed to speak to Ms. Amyot from the time she was in custody, we were all informed of that. So how could you have her side of the story already?

Detective Hana stared back at Conrad with a look of distain, but said nothing.

Lieu. Gordon: Okay, fine. You're officially off the case. I don't want to see you anywhere near Ms. Amyot, Mr.Gartz, or anything related to their case. Do I make myself clear?

Hana gave a slight head nod in response, but that wasn't the response the Lieutenant was looking for. He wanted to be sure Kane understood.

Lieu. Gordon: Have I made myself clear? I don’t even want you to review evidence for their case.

Det. Hana: Loud and clear. Sir.

Conrad dismissed Kane and stood alone for a moment. He took a deep breath trying to center himself. The last couple of months had been stressful he didn't need the extra headache. That didn't deter him from his next task. He headed back downstairs where Paris had been escorted to the shared holding cell, which was crowded with 4 other women who were down on their luck that evening. He approached the gate stopping about five feet away.

Lieu. Gordon: Ms. Amyot, I have one question for you. How do you know Detective Kane Hana?

Paris: Who says that I do?

Conrad rolled his shoulders to ease some of the built up tension.

Lieu Gordon: Don't insult my intelligence, Ms. Amyot. I just want to know how you know Detective Hana. If you don't want to share I will go.

Paris: Professionally or personally?

She asked with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Lieu. Gordon: I get the feeling they go hand and hand with you. Both.

Instead of answering, she pivoted in a different direction.

Paris: Maybe I'd like to get to know you Lieutenant, during which time I’d be more than happy to tell you everything I know about Kane Hana. I just need to make a phone call first. I think you can help me with that. Can't you Lieutenant Gordon?

Her tone grew heavy with seduction. Conrad held is ground, unaffected by her attempts at seducing him and unwavering in his position. He both wanted and needed answers to this question and he wouldn't be distracted.

When he didn't respond Paris took that as a no. Her smile dropped and she flipped him the bird. Gone was the seductive eyes and flirty tone she'd been using previously and in its place was the hateful snake she truly was.

Paris: Too bad. Guess you're on your own Lieutenant. I could have showed you a nice time, but apparently you’re another tightly wound officer of the law. So, I’ll save this treat for someone a little more daring. You can leave now.

She winked and her cackle bounced off the open space as Conrad turned his back on her. Paris's voice stalked him down the hall.

Paris: Send Kane back when he's ready to do his job properly, or you could always come back for a visit Lieutenant.

He left the holding area with more questions than answers, but two things became very clear: One, Paris needed to be supervised. She was such a wild card. Two, Hana couldn’t be allowed near Paris and her case or he could jeopardize everything.

Previous Next

Beginning

Sidebar: Lieutenant Conrad Gordon is from the amazing @abbysimsfun Sims in Bloom Legacy. . There are links to her story everywhere! But the link here is for the start of her amazing legacy story. Thank you again for allowing Conrad to be the protector of all Brindleton Bay citizens!

The Brindleton Police station build can be found on the gallery with No CC. It was created by ssweet_simmingg. Its listed as a residential lot.

[thecurioustale]

Worldbuilding: Something I Learned About Planetary Surface Gravity

Last year (hehe; it's always fun to say that at the start of a new year; actual time about 4 months ago), I made a strange discovery!

I won't slow-roll you. Here's the bottom line: In reality, i.e. based on observational data, there appears to be a plateau of surface gravity for planets up to about 500 times more massive than Earth. Most planets between 1 Earth mass and ~500 Earth masses have a surface gravity that is close to our own, i.e. 1 g. So if you're worldbuilding, and need a planet with a surface gravity that is more than a few percentage points higher than Earth's, be careful.

All right, on to the story!

I had need of such a planet for Galaxy Federal. About 125% percent or so, i.e. 1.25 g. And it was in the back of my mind that Neptunian planets often have a "surface" gravity similar to that of Earth's. "Okay," I figured, "that's probably because their giant atmospheres reduce the average planetary density. On a rocky world that wouldn't be an issue. But I'd better check to be safe."

Oh, it is always a good idea to check!

I found a paper which was reporting the plateau that I mentioned in the TL;DR. Here's what it looks like:

Gravity vs mass for Solar System bodies and exoplanets. Ballesteros, Fernando & Luque, Bartolo. (2016). Walking on Exoplanets: Is Star Wars Right?. Astrobiology. 16. 10.1089/ast.2016.1475.

What they found is that Super Earths, i.e. rocky planets with a mass greater than Earth's, did not exhibit the increase in surface gravity seen in smaller celestial bodies. There is this "plateau" where increases in planetary mass and radius are such that the surface gravity essentially levels out for a while.

This isn't something I think you could predict from amateur astronomical principles. What you would predict (certainly, what I predicted) would be what we see on the left side of the above figure, where more mass equals more surface gravity. All of the small rocky bodies in our own Solar System fall onto that left side of the graph. The plateau only really begins in the Earth range of planetary mass. You can see how Venus is included in the plateau almost perfectly, but the much less massive Mars is not.

This is a truly remarkable finding about planetary formation, and has serious implications both for fictional worldbuilding and someday for planetary colonization. That is, if these observations are truly representative of the Universe. This is a pretty big "if" that I don't have the knowledge to be able to check, except to say that there may be some bias unaccounted for because of how we detect exoplanets, such that perhaps the ones we detect are not representative of the ones we do not—so take it all with a grain of salt. This paper is 8 years old but I couldn't find anything newer following up on it.

Fully understanding how it would work is still a question mark for me. I mean, it's a question mark for the professional planetary scientists, too, so there's that, but, in addition to the unknowns that curtail their comprehension, there's a lot I don't know about astronomy that further curtails mine. My understanding is that this isn't really about the intrinsic density of the materials (i.e. substances that are more massive or less massive per mole); it would mainly have to be a consequence of how planets form, how the geological processes change in different planetary mass categories; that sort of thing. But I don't really know! I'm out of my depth.

Anyway, you can download a copy of the full paper on its entry page on ResearchGate; look for the button that says "Download full-text." And the website Centauri Dreams has a nice write-up which is where I originally discovered this.

[mangatxt]

top 10 manga i read in 2024:

(please note these are not necessarily published in 2024. just things i read or picked up this year)

the fable / ザ・ファブル by minami katsuhisa (seinen / hitman, yakuza, action, comedy / complete) a famed hitman must lay low under the care of a local yakuza group in osaka for a year, blending into a society he is deeply unfamiliar with. some of the most thoughtful and funniest character writing i've ever read.

adults' picture book / otona no zukan kaiteiban / おとなのずかん改訂版 by itoi kei (seinen / childcare, drama / complete) when his late best friend (and maybe more) passes away, an adult comics mangaka must get his act together to take care of his orphaned daughter, even enlisting the help of a local tax accountant to his new odd family. i think this is one of those series that caught me at the exact right moment. you too can read vol 1 as a creative in your late 20s to max out emotional damage.

sketchy / スケッチー by maki hirochi (seinen / sports, slice of life / complete) burnt out and feeling lost, ako stumbles into a group of female skateboarders one night on the way home — invigorated with hope and excitement, she, along with a great cast of women, take up the sport too. absolutely delightful and inspiring, through and through.

colette decides to die / colette wa shinu koto ni shita / コレットは死ぬことにした by yukimura alto (shoujo / fantasy, mythology, romance / complete) (tw: suicide) a village doctor, desperate for a break from overwork, jumps into a well. when she arrives in the land of the dead, she meets its king -- hades -- who is sick and needs her care. a very unique take on greek myth with wonderful slowburn romance between the leads.

do not call it mystery / mystery to iu nakare / ミステリと言う勿れ by tamura yumi (josei / detective, mystery, drama / ongoing) totonou kunou is arrested for the murder of a classmate he doesn't know. after he successfully deduces each cop's backstory while in custody, the police consult his detective skills for other cases, including his own. if you liked basara or seven seeds, i probably don't need to sell this to you.

smoking behind the supermarket with you / super no ura de yani suu futaru / スーパーの裏でヤニ吸うふたり by jinushi (web comic / slice of life, romance / ongoing) overworked and stressed out, sasaki regularly visits his local supermarket for one reason only: the cute cashier yamada. on one visit, he doesn't see her. disappointed, he takes a smoke break behind the store and encounters tayama, a mischievous coworker who seems oddly familiar. a friendship between the two grows with every shared cigarette. if you liked wotakoi but want something more down to earth, this is for you.

gazing at the star next door / tonari no stella / 隣のステラ by ammitsu (shoujo / romance / ongoing) chiaki reckons with her feelings for her next door neighbor and best friend subaru, who's quickly rising through the ranks to become the most popular actor in japan. read this for a classic, butterflies-in-your-stomach shoujo romance feeling.

orb: on the movements of the earth / chi. chikyuu no undou ni tsuite / チ。―地球の運動について― by uoto (seinen / historical, drama / complete) this manga follows several generations in a fictional retelling of the discovery of heliocentrism in the solar system. when claiming that the earth revolves around the sun will get you killed for heresy, these figures must work together in secret, so that church's terrifying inquisitors cannot find them. this fucks, and the anime fucks even harder.

a condition called love / hananoi-kun to koi no yomai / 花野井くんと恋の病 by morino megumi (shoujo / romance, drama / ongoing) a girl who struggles to understand romance and a boy with debilitating abandonment issues enter a trial relationship after a kind act makes him fall in "love." a tough read at times, but to me, this is a welcome commentary on the "obsessive male lead" trope in romance manga.

lost lad london / ロスト・ラッド・ロンドン by shinya shima (seinen / mystery, drama / complete) a young part-time worker, al adley, is framed in the fatal stabbing of london's mayor. when by-the-book detective ellis gives him the benefit of the doubt, the two work together evade arrest to unravel the murder -- and the reason al has been targeted. short (3 vols) and underrated with a unique and delightful art style and some keen social commentary.

[talonabraxas]

The Lyrans Talon Abraxas

A Lyran Starseed is a highly intelligent, evolved soul from Vega, the brightest star in the Lyra constellation.

After the Draconian conquest of Lyra star system, Lyran Starseeds incarnated in many other star systems before making their way to planet Earth. The two most common places of refuge for Lyrans after the way included Sirius and the Pleiades.

On Earth, a Lyran Starseed is a human being with a Lyran soul. Because the Lyrans started one of the galaxy's oldest cultures, many Lyran Starseeds self-identify as ancient souls sometime during their formative years.

As an advanced spiritual being, a Lyran Starseed feels at ease on our planet. The endless wars, natural disasters, and human shortcomings do not alter the Lyran Starseeds' mission.

History of the Lyran Race: Starseed Origins

The Lyran species descended from Feline Starseeds and served as the original stewards of ancient knowledge. The Lyra constellation in which they first lived is shown on star maps as a lyre. In some cases, a map may depict it as a vulture or an eagle carrying a lyre. Oftentimes, stargazers refer to the constellation as the "Falling vulture" or "Falling eagle."

The Draconians destroyed the Lyran civilization during the brutal Draco-Lyran War in which 50 million Lyrans perished. The resulting spiritual exodus to and assimilation with other solar systems contributed to a significant rise in the number of spiritual beings with mixed starseed origins.

3. Extreme Sports

Despite their calm demeanor, Lyran Starseeds love the human form and enjoy pushing the physical body to the limit. Many Lyrans participate in extreme sports professionally or as a hobby.

Your adventurous nature might drive you to try rock climbing, skydiving, hang gliding, and other types of physical activity.

You love to read stories about dangerous journeys, survival situations, and exploration of space and the ocean.

4. Old Soul

Lyran Starseeds are old souls. While in human form, most Lyrans experience vivid dreams of past lives on other planets.

Old Lyran souls command respect with their steady countenances and ancient wisdom.

Most Lyrans have experienced dozens of reincarnation cycles on different planets, so it makes sense that they often behave as though they have seen it all.

One of the most admirable Lyran Starseed abilities is how they accept life as it comes to them and continue moving forward. They have a strong sense of what can be changed and what is set in stone.

5. Healing Abilities

As the earliest keepers of ancient knowledge, Lyrans acquired many gifts, including the power to heal.

People who are suffering feel drawn to you. Even inanimate objects that are broken seem to find their way into your life. As a result, your life can become exceedingly distracting, leaving you with several missed calls and a room full of incomplete projects.

Lyrans once healed themselves and others within the Lyran star system before being forced to leave. Now, Lyran Starseeds can heal people physically, spiritually, and psychologically.

6. Healthy Skepticism

As ancient souls that have lived in multiple star systems, Lyran Starseeds remain skeptical of new information until they receive additional proof. Their souls have been following along since ancient history and have witnessed it all.

Your deep perspective on most issues keeps you focused on the truth and undistracted by external circumstances.

Sometimes, people misunderstand a Lyran star seed's skepticism as cynicism. But Lyrans merely wish to gain a full understanding of the topic of conversation.

7. Can Spot Liars

With supernatural psychic abilities, Lyran Starseeds can access the Akashic Records, open someone's entire chakra system, sniff out well-hidden lies, and more.

A Lyran Star seed who has been brought up to ignore intuition may not detect lies as well as they otherwise could. Unlearning anything that separates you from your intuition is key to rediscovering your lost abilities.

Because Lyrans notice that everyone lies, they sometimes cloister themselves at home in an attempt to be self-sufficient and avoid the obvious deceptions.

8. Powerful Chakras

Your sacral and root chakras dominate your chakra system.

Because your sacral chakra remains so strong, you have a well-developed sexuality, express yourself creatively or artistically, and demonstrate high emotional intelligence.

Your powerful root chakra provides a stable base, keeping you grounded and balanced. It also boosts your confidence as you navigate the world because it makes you feel safe and secure.

You benefit from an unshakable inner fortitude founded on stability of your sacral and root chakras.

9. History Buff

Because Lyran starseeds come from one of the universe's most ancient civilizations, they often express their love for history, archaeology, and antiquities.

You might excel in your history classes, collect antiques, or even partake in metal detecting as a hobby.

You value wisdom more than intelligence and talent. You constantly search for ancient wisdom in esoteric texts, banned books, and holy scriptures.

10. Magic and the Supernatural

As a Lyran Starseed, you love divination and supernatural occurences. Staying in touch with your spiritual side keeps you connected with all the different parts of yourself.

Lyrans often possess telepathic gifts and like to dabble in tarot card reading, crystal ball reading, and palm reading. They like to explore places with deep spiritual significance and feel at home in these settings.

Possessing a close connection to the element of fire, Lyran starseeds also love to practice candle magic.

11. Manifestation Expert

Coming from an ancient civilization and building upon several millennia of experience and culture, Lyran starseeds function at higher frequencies. This ability gives them a deep understanding of the spiritual world, the physical world, and how they both work.

Aspects of your love life, work life, and personal life often align with what you had manifested. In fact, sometimes you that feel whatever you casually mention even comes true!

12. Contentment Within

Lyran starseeds find joy in the little things. They do not care about possessions, fame, or other worldly pursuits.

Lyrans are happy in their own company and will deny their ego to achieve inner peace.

Their temporary existence as humans makes Lyrans curious about and fascinated by the human world. They revel in a simple, wholesome type of happiness, choosing not to dwell on negativity.

13. Love a Good Challenge

Lyrans love to test their abilities. Their high intelligence and keen intuition push them to test boundaries so they can see how far their 3D human forms can go.

During their leisure time, Lyran starseeds like to work on puzzles and riddles. They also like to help others work through dilemmas. They believe their minds stay sharp if they keep using it.

When the Draconians destroyed the Lyran planet, the Lyran people had to flee and find refuge in other solar systems. They had to reinvent themselves and adapt to other eco-systems. This adaptation gave them inner strength and a high sense of alertness, so they always look for new challenges.

14. Prefer to Lead

Innate leadership skills are a common Lyran characteristic because Lyrans are strategic, ambitious, and strong-willed. They aspire to high positions in governments, corporations, and places of worship.

Part on what drives a Lyran star seed to lead is the desire to help others become self-sufficient. Instinctively, they know that anyone's whole life can be turned upside-down in an instant. The level of self-sufficiency often determines whether a person can recover or not.

15. Attract People

Lyran starseeds give off vibes of quiet confidence and calmness, so most people feel comfortable around them. You will attract people wherever you go because almost everyone takes a liking to you.

Although others feel drawn towards you, you do not seek attention. On the contrary, you prefer to stay out of the limelight. You may even come across as modest.

You prefer the company of a one or two friends rather than large parties. And, you remain equally happy by yourself. This self-assuredness makes people trust you.

16. Frustrated With the Third Dimension

As robust manifestors, Lyrans get frustrated when things do not go their way — an exception to their otherwise serene inner life.

Sometimes, Lyran Starseeds forget that they exist in a 3D world, which means manifestations take time to come to fruition on the physical plane.

The Lyrans' overall excellence makes them accustomed to learning quickly and seeing immediate results. They can work at full speed for days if they feel inspired. When they find themselves in that state of mind, the pitfalls and hangups of the third dimension exasperate a Lyran Starseed.

The Lyran Starseed Mission on Planet Earth

The first part of the Lyran Starseed mission has already been accomplished in that they have guided the evolution of Earth souls over the course of human history. In ancient history, they started by showing early man how to control the element of fire.

They still intend to awake humans from duldrums of physical life so that we may ascend into a 4D and 5D existence.

Lyran Starseeds wish to place humanity in an abundance mindset and help us achieve liberty from our tyrannical oppressors once again.

As a Lyran Starseed, you must embrace this physical life, hone your healing ability, and resist getting bored easily so you can make the best possible impact while preparing humanity for the Galactic Federation of Light. That is the Lyran Starseed mission.

Lyran Starseed Activation Symbols

Lyrans Starseeds can activate themselves using one of several symbols. The most common Lyran symbols for activation are the vulture, eagle, and lyre, or harp.

The lyre represents celebrations, entertainment, feasts, abundance, and fun.

Other Lyran Starseed symbols include lions and housecats.

Romantic Relationships

Lyran Starseeds approach romantic relationships differently than most people. For a Lyran Starseed, love extends beyond the confines of the traditional romantic paradigm. They see it as an intense bond that stretches across and transcends time and space. Keeping a dream journal will guide starseeds when navigating amorous relationships.

Lyran Starseed? 16 Attributes, Mission & Origins:

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #40 – Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes

This was yet another book that has been on my TBR list for so long I had entirely forgotten what the actual pitch was – I went into it pretty much entirely blind, just ‘sci fi horror’ from the glanced over marketing copy on the back. Which is really the best way to go about reading(/watching/playing) horror, anyway. It was an entertaining enough read? If an uneven one – the first half was really incredibly better than the second, unfortunately.

The story follows Claire Kovalik, the ‘team lead’ of a maintenance crew repairing com relays in the ass end of the solar system – at least until they finish this last run and are officially rendered obsolete. Too psychologically fragile for her corporate masters to trust her with an actual ship, the only future she has to look forward to is a deskbound sinecure revising training manuals on Earth. She’s seriously considering killing herself instead, when their sensors detect an archaic distress signal past the edge of charted space – the Aurora, first and last space liner for the rich and famous, vanished with all hands on its maiden voyage decades ago. The finder’s fee and accumulated bounties would be enough to set everyone on the team for life (not even counting any artifacts they pocket to auction on the side), so the five of them board and reactivate the old hulk, exploring its galleries and aiming it towards Earth. Just a 60 hour burn to reliable communications with the rest of the system, totally worth it for fame and fortune. Even once they start discovering the state of all the former passengers, and figuring out what happened in those last hours aboard the ship.

So! This is Event Horizon but with the Titanic. It’s other things too, but that’s the pitch. Now, I like Event Horizon, and adore exploited corporate serfs being slowly suffocated by looming dread as they explore the gore-stained ruins of past decadence, so that’s no bad thing for me. But still, even from the outset this is not a work that tries to break any molds. This honestly becomes much more of an issue in the third act, when the book basically shifts genre and also has to come up with answers and a resolution to the whole thing and just does not land it for me.

The main twist on the formula is that Claire is the only survivor of a Martian colony that was annihilated by plague (and a missed resupply) when she was a child, the physical and emotional trauma of which left her partially deaf in one ear, terrified of emotional connections and (most pertinently) already possessed of significant experience with hallucinating the bloody corpses of people she cares about wandering around when she’s stressed. Which turns out to be a very useful life skill, when they turn the ship back on and everyone starts having to deal with that. Which is mostly pretty fun! The paranoia and terror as everything goes to shit at the end of the first act are great. Sadly, the book then decides to keep going.

The first half of the book is the story of the initial salvage crew’s discovery of the Aurora, as relayed through Claire getting debriefed/interrogated by a couple of corporate goons after being found half-dead in an escape pod. The latter half is those same corporate goons conscripting her for a return journey to the ship, now guiding three platoons of mercenaries. It’s like if you watched a double-feature of Alien and one of its bad sequels. The book slips from well-executed to paint-by-numbers, and the big reveal is basically the most boring possible answer you could imagine. This is not helped by the book’s action sequences just not being very...good.

Part of that is just the book’s complete lack of faith in its audience, or understanding of subtlety. Several twists are telegraphed so obviously that it’s hard to believe Claire is actually surprised by them, and character beats are just repeated so often you want to grab the author and scream you get it already. Claire’s tragic backstory is repeated something like half a dozen times, and the surprise villain spends half the final confrontation basically giving a monologue about how he’d drown a nursery full of babies if it topped up his 401k.

Villains aside, the supporting cast is mostly fun-if-one-note. Decently executed, but all very much walked out of sci fi central casting. Which more or less works, in that they’re all energetic and mostly fun to have on page. The unfortunate and singular exception is Claire’s love interest, the team medic. Whose...nice? Has a daughter back on Earth? Might as well be a statue carved from literal white bread? You know the cliche about hollywood action movies where the hero’s girlfriend has zero personality or arc and mostly exists to be hot and motivate him by being imperilled? Basically the gender-flip of that.

One thing the book kind of teases but absolutely never really explores or tries to resolve is the fact that in addition to all the hallucinations and madness with (boring, but) mechanistic and materialistic explanations, ghosts might also just be real? There’s several points in the book where Claire sees the body she doesn’t recognize hovering around someone, and when she describes it to them, they know who it is. It’s also a recurring thing that her visions of her dead mom are supposed to be how she even knew how to send out the SOS that got her rescued from the dead colony as a child. You might expect that this would eventually build to something, or be key to the final resolution. You would be incorrect.

So yeah, would have been a very solid horror novella if it just cut the entire second act. As is, I mean I’m not angry I read it, but not sure I’d go out of my way to recommend it either.

[woodsfae]

B5 S04E12 Conflicts of Interest previous chapter - table of contents

Garibaldi isn't wildly succeeding at being a private detective, it seems. This poor father is distraught that he hasn't found his daughter yet but..what's this? The missing daughter with a steel chair! And Garibaldi isn't even charging his full fee because he feels bad. It's nice that he's being charming to make up for his irritating fight with Sheridan.

After Garibaldi dealt with Zack Allen being an bad actor, it's extra annoying that he's joining an anti-Sheridan organization. My hope is that he's doing it to infiltrate. My actual thought is that he was brainwashed into it and is an unknowing sleeper agent for PsiCorps.

Oooh, guest starring Zathras! That ought to be interesting at the least.

Sheridan is annoyed because he doesn't have an excuse to avoid irritating tasks since Delenn is gone.

Wow, Garibaldi hasn't turned in his badge, gun, and et cetera yet. That's such a security risk! And Zack Allen doesn't want to go get them because he thinks Garibaldi will be sad. lol, white men.

Ivanova has been working hard on her broadcast back to earth assigned project. Stephen helps her out with a signal routing problem.

Garibaldi doesn't want to hand in his military issue weapon. He's fine turning in his link and official ID, but he's bummed about the gun, even though he can easily go buy one since he's licensed. Very attached to those weapons in particular. Hilarious dramatic about it. Feels personally betrayed by Zack Allen insisting. Serious amusing. As his his cheering himself up watching more classic Looney Tunes. Truly a man of simple tastes.

The rogue element wants Garibaldi to smuggle someone in and be security for them while they're here. And Garibaldi is apparently fine with it without knowing who it is or what they're doing. Specifically because they took his military sidepiece away, sad boy without his gun (s).

Oh, when Ivanova and Franklin talked about routing the broadcast through Epsilon 5, they meant Draal planet. And Zathras is there, newly revealed to be one of 10, 9 now that one of them in the past with Valen. I wonder if became legendary throughout history to the Zathrases like Sinclair was to the Minbari.

Zathras's costume is hilariously, obviously, some fake raccoon tails over a cloak over a vest over a button-down shirt over another shirt.

The person he's smuggling in is his ex, who refused to move to B5 with him. Who got married after he left and presumably has had her husband's kid by now. Looks like she isn't necessarily thrilled to see him. Ooh, apparently she's gotten divorced and remarried since the last time they talked! Her ex husband screwed her over in Earth courts biased against Mars citizens and hasn't gotten to see her kid in over a year.

Garibaldi, the self-centered man child, is upset she didn't move to B5 to be with him after her divorce instead of staying on Mars and remarrying after knowing him for like six months. And he happens to be one of the wealthiest people on Mars who owns tons of real estate and a medical research facility.

"you broke my heart three times and that's one more time than you're entitled to," is soooo funny. Why was she entitled to twice? What's three after two? Why be mad that she didn't leave the solar system and abandon her legal pursuit to see her daughter to live somewhere she definitely couldn't see the kid? Classic Garibaldi reaction though.

Londo's back! And now he's welcome in allied ranger leadership meetings for some godawful reason. Make the man prove himself with a few good decisions first.

Sheridan wants to deploy the rangers to go hang out in allied space if the allies are cool with it and give them information and the permission to operate in their space. And Sheridan proposes, much to Londo's disagreement, that they start out on the border of Narn and Centauri space. Which is, I think, a great idea. It very well may reduce Centauri aggression against the Narns.

omg, Garibaldi didn't even wipe his accessing the secured area with his cloned security badge so the first time Zack Allen reviewed security access it came up with his name attached. Dumbass.

Garibaldi's ex's new husband apparently thinks there's a telepath-gene related virus. Oops, that'd get Ivanova if so.

This mission is basically legit. It's medical research, if she isn't lying or misinformed. There's no reason she couldn't just visit B5. But since they're being shot at and attacked, perhaps there's another motive.

I find it hard to be interested in Garibaldi plot, so it's a pity there's so much of it lately.

Garibaldi's not so annoyed anymore, and his ex has to tell him she misses him right before she flees. Flees from…dun dun dun! Telepaths. Different angle than I thought the telepaths would be coming from. Telepaths who kill themselves with poison teeth when captured! That's hardcore and old fashioned. Cyanide is a terrible, painful choice. They've got to have better poison in the future.

William Edgars, Garibaldi's ex wife Lise Hampton-Edgar's husband, likes Garibaldi's style and wants to hire him to come to Mars and work for him. Go Garibaldi! Be free!

Susan Ivanova's first broadcast! It's a good teaser. I definitely want to see her full, regular broadcast. That unstoppable (?) broadcast is definitely going to piss off Earth! I foresee retaliation.

B5 must be a leaky sieve! Two telepaths on board chasing and shooting at a billionaire's wife smuggling genetic information on a telepath-gene viral illness. That sounds like way more of an interesting plot than it actually was, though, sigh.

[plzignr]

We Do Not Use our fleets for warfare-part II

Your Amanda assumed this would go down as the fastest invasion in the solar system on record.

You find a fleet, drifting in deep space. You saw their radiation as they accelated to match your orbital position. They never hailed you. Never responded to the threats of bombardment you issued. They are large, you assume the vessel could hold the population of a small country, but there is only one of its size. You see dozens and dozens of smaller vessels buzzing around it entering in and out. But none of them look like they could withstand a single shot from your plasma weapons, it's as if they are designed to barely withstand space itself. Compared to your fleet, and it's capabilities, there is no hope for your opponents.

You watch as the vessels drift into position languidly, slow, clunky from your perspective. You are surprised this species even managed to colonize its own solar system given the speed of this thing.

You issue another warning. No response. You open fire, a hail of plasma bursts out of your vessels torpedoes, fiery death and liquid metal erupts from your target. You hear nothing, the silence of space muting what you assume would be the screams of your target. They had no resistance, they're was no fight in them. You are almost disappointed, your nature as a conquering species takes no true joy without at least something to fight back. Here, even amongst the wreckage of what you perceive as a cobbled together craft, it is difficult to even imagine what was hoped to be accomplished by your opponent. But there is still nothing but the silence from earlier. The admirals have asked for an unconditional surrender.

It has been 16 minutes.

A second message arrives, "You have failed to comply, you will be annihilated. We are sorry, truly."

There is confusion amongst the fleet. There was no acknowledgement of the destruction of the vessels you just destroyed. No appeal to your senses, it as if they are entirely unaware of your actions.

The admiral gives you a look you have never seen before, a horrible realization dawning on them. They've realized why the silence has been so prolonged, they realize the trap, and they know it is too late. They turn their head, and you follow their gaze. You see them squinting at the sun in this solar system. They frantically message the astronavigator. You see your species fight or flight response reactions flare within your admiral. They scream into their communicator "Emegency communication: wide band, all channels, override code A1136-B-9-0-D, All vessels emergency manuevers! Scatter! Now! Lightspeed if you can! Max your Fusion drives if you're on cool down!" You're confused but there isn't time the admiral has issued another order "ship wide communication: Emergency command! confirmation code 1139!: brace! Brace! Shields at maximum power." As soon as he says it you feel the ship you in, the capital ship of your fleet forcefully knocked to one side. Automatic emergency alarm systems engage: "Shield integrity compromised, solar flare detected. Emergency protocol engaged. Weapons systems disengaged, drive systems disengaged. Cooldown of vessel required."

You stand confused and aghast, you are lightminutes from the sun of this system. There simply isn't a way a solar flare could have come out this far, it would be an unprecedented celestial event.

You hear the admiral commanding your craft again, "get the damn thing of emergency shutdown mode, YES I KNOW ITS TO KEEP US FROM MELTING, IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT I SAY THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT *WILL* HAPPEN TO US!!!"

Another lurch knocks you down onto the hull, the admiral fails with you as they are knocked to the floor in front of you. "Admiral I don't understand, where is they're fleet? Where are they firing from? There's nothing on scanners? Where do we fire back?!?"

Your last question was nothing more than desperation, you know as well as the admiral that the ships emergency systems are designed to shutdown the main drives, the weapons systems and practically everything but life support in the event the ship begins to critically overheat. Whatever weapon your quarry had deployed it was confusing your ships systems with bombardments of insane heat. The Shields to deflect plasma were barely sustaining the ship. Out the crafts short range scanners and view windows you could see smaller crafts Shields fail and watch with abject horror as blinding lights ablated the energy resistant metal away in near instants.

"Admiral!" you cried "what is this?!? What do we do!?"

The admiral remained on the floor, bereft of breath he managed to utter, 'their sun. They've turned thier own sun into a weapon. They must have fired on us almost as soon as we arrived. That's why they were quiet. That's why they took so long to say anything. It only goes at lightspeed, they waited just long enough for us to move, and we didn't. It's going to keep firing on us. They won't even know if we've surrendered."

Horror dawned. There had been no quarter from the moment you arrived. There had been a single warning and then the fleet had been targeted for destruction.

[velocijupiter]

Kintype Anatomical Diagram - 2024 Revamp!

Thought the old schematic was outdated enough, so here's a new one! Probably not realistically feasible in some parts, so take it more as a fun creative exercise :] More systems have been laid out due to a different style for showing everything.

Text transcript under the cut:

Jupiter DromaeOS - Rough Schematic

Height - 6'1/2" / 198cm

Tail Length - 4'8" / 142cm

Weight - 215lb / 97.5kg

Composition is largely of carbon, with smaller amounts of silicon, gold, iron, water, and other trace elements.

Skeletal System

Compacted carbon for support and structural integrity

Braced in certain areas

Ribs divided to allow movement of storage compartments

Electric System

Provides energy for most bodily functions

A. Power Supply Unit - Allows charging from an external energy grid. Requires power cable

B. Solar Panels - Carbon-perovskite photovoltaics for use when away from an energy grid. Usually hidden under feathers

C. Battery - Lithium-sulfur solid state battery that provides ~48 hours of waketime when fully charged

D. Solid State Drive - Extra storage capacity for important memories and information

E. Graphics Processing Unit - Renders AR and holo-displays, as well as internal simulations and dreams

Circulatory System

Circulates around the body a kind of “blood” made of nanites and liquid coolant. Waste heat ejected through fans on the back of the body

F. Nanite Hub - Pumps nanite blood throughout the body. Also houses a nanite fabricator and programmer

Nervous System

Houses most processing power, tactile sense, and consciousness. Comprised of artificial neurons that require a constant supply of electricity

G. Central Processing Unit - Standard issue synthetic humanoid brain. Structure indicates a nontrivial level of neurodivergence

Digestive System

Processes traditional food and certain kinds of inorganic matter. Essential for self-repair and can have a positive effect on mental state

H. Crusher - For chewing both organic and inorganic matter. Soundproofed by skeletal structure in snout

I. Pseudostomach - Dissolves consumed material with nanites rather than acid

J. Graphene Production Chambers - Produces graphene for use in repairs via flash joule heating. Leftover material deposited in lowest storage compartments for use as printer feedstock

Storage Compartments

Built-in drawers for storing goods and materials. Can be refrigerated via circulatory system

Sensory and Communication Devices

K. Microphones - Ear equivalent, input volume can be adjusted or muted

L. Speaker - Vocal output device, can produce a wide array of sounds and can be modulated

M. Eyes - Light passes through display screens used for visual communication

N. AR lens - Projects private-use visual overlays

O. Retinas - Collects modified light signal and sends to CPU and GPU

P. Wireless Internet Receiver - Fully-controlled access to decentralized internet. Uses secondary displays rather than direct input into CPU

Q. Nostrils & Tongue - Detect presence of chemicals in air and food, output converted into signals directed towards CPU

Rockets

Provide mobility within aerospace

R. Microthrusters - Small ion thrusters for stabilization in microgravity

S. Liquid Fuel/Oxidizer Storage - Frozen when not in use to reduce balance issues

T. Pumps - Carry fuel and oxidizer into combustion chamber

U. Combustion Chamber - Mixes and burns fuel and oxidizer

V. Nozzle - Rocket exhaust exits through soles to create thrust

[jcmarchi]

Researchers detect a new molecule in space

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/researchers-detect-a-new-molecule-in-space/

Researchers detect a new molecule in space

New research from the group of MIT Professor Brett McGuire has revealed the presence of a previously unknown molecule in space. The team’s open-access paper, “Rotational Spectrum and First Interstellar Detection of 2-Methoxyethanol Using ALMA Observations of NGC 6334I,” appears in April 12 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Zachary T.P. Fried, a graduate student in the McGuire group and the lead author of the publication, worked to assemble a puzzle comprised of pieces collected from across the globe, extending beyond MIT to France, Florida, Virginia, and Copenhagen, to achieve this exciting discovery. 

“Our group tries to understand what molecules are present in regions of space where stars and solar systems will eventually take shape,” explains Fried. “This allows us to piece together how chemistry evolves alongside the process of star and planet formation. We do this by looking at the rotational spectra of molecules, the unique patterns of light they give off as they tumble end-over-end in space. These patterns are fingerprints (barcodes) for molecules. To detect new molecules in space, we first must have an idea of what molecule we want to look for, then we can record its spectrum in the lab here on Earth, and then finally we look for that spectrum in space using telescopes.”

Searching for molecules in space

The McGuire Group has recently begun to utilize machine learning to suggest good target molecules to search for. In 2023, one of these machine learning models suggested the researchers target a molecule known as 2-methoxyethanol. 

“There are a number of ‘methoxy’ molecules in space, like dimethyl ether, methoxymethanol, ethyl methyl ether, and methyl formate, but 2-methoxyethanol would be the largest and most complex ever seen,” says Fried. To detect this molecule using radiotelescope observations, the group first needed to measure and analyze its rotational spectrum on Earth. The researchers combined experiments from the University of Lille (Lille, France), the New College of Florida (Sarasota, Florida), and the McGuire lab at MIT to measure this spectrum over a broadband region of frequencies ranging from the microwave to sub-millimeter wave regimes (approximately 8 to 500 gigahertz). 

The data gleaned from these measurements permitted a search for the molecule using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations toward two separate star-forming regions: NGC 6334I and IRAS 16293-2422B. Members of the McGuire group analyzed these telescope observations alongside researchers at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (Charlottesville, Virginia) and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 

“Ultimately, we observed 25 rotational lines of 2-methoxyethanol that lined up with the molecular signal observed toward NGC 6334I (the barcode matched!), thus resulting in a secure detection of 2-methoxyethanol in this source,” says Fried. “This allowed us to then derive physical parameters of the molecule toward NGC 6334I, such as its abundance and excitation temperature. It also enabled an investigation of the possible chemical formation pathways from known interstellar precursors.”

Looking forward

Molecular discoveries like this one help the researchers to better understand the development of molecular complexity in space during the star formation process. 2-methoxyethanol, which contains 13 atoms, is quite large for interstellar standards — as of 2021, only six species larger than 13 atoms were detected outside the solar system, many by McGuire’s group, and all of them existing as ringed structures.  

“Continued observations of large molecules and subsequent derivations of their abundances allows us to advance our knowledge of how efficiently large molecules can form and by which specific reactions they may be produced,” says Fried. “Additionally, since we detected this molecule in NGC 6334I but not in IRAS 16293-2422B, we were presented with a unique opportunity to look into how the differing physical conditions of these two sources may be affecting the chemistry that can occur.”

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA Turns Off Science Instrument to Save Voyager 2 Power

The mission has been working to postpone the shut-off as long as possible. Four other instruments aboard the interstellar spacecraft continue to operate.

Mission engineers at NASA have turned off the plasma science instrument aboard the Voyager 2 spacecraft due to the probe’s gradually shrinking electrical power supply.

Traveling more than 12.8 billion miles (20.5 billion kilometers) from Earth, the spacecraft continues to use four science instruments to study the region outside our heliosphere, the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun. The probe has enough power to continue exploring this region with at least one operational science instrument into the 2030s.

Mission engineers have taken steps to avoid turning off a science instrument for as long as possible because the science data collected by the twin Voyager probes is unique. No other human-made spacecraft has operated in interstellar space, the region outside the heliosphere.

The plasma science instrument measures the amount of plasma (electrically charged atoms) and the direction it is flowing. It has collected limited data in recent years due to its orientation relative to the direction that plasma is flowing in interstellar space.

Both spacecraft are powered by decaying plutonium and lose about 4 watts of power each year. After the twin Voyagers completed their exploration of the giant planets in the 1980s, the mission team turned off several science instruments that would not be used in the study of interstellar space. That gave the spacecraft plenty of extra power until a few years ago. Since then, the team has turned off all onboard systems not essential for keeping the probes working, including some heaters. In order to postpone having to shut off another science instrument, they also adjusted how Voyager 2’ voltage is monitored.

Monitoring Results

On Sept. 26, engineers issued the command to turn off the plasma science instrument. Sent by NASA’s Deep Space Network, it took 19 hours to reach Voyager 2, and the return signal took another 19 hours to reach Earth.

Mission engineers always carefully monitor changes being made to the 47-year-old spacecraft’s operations to ensure they don’t generate any unwanted secondary effects. The team has confirmed that the switch-off command was executed without incident and the probe is operating normally.

In 2018, the plasma science instrument proved critical in determining that Voyager 2 left the heliosphere. The boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space is demarcated by changes in the atoms, particles, and magnetic fields that instruments on the Voyagers can detect. Inside the heliosphere, particles from the Sun flow outward, away from our nearest star. The heliosphere is moving through interstellar space, so at Voyager 2’s position near the front of the solar bubble, the plasma flows in almost the opposite direction of the solar particles.

The plasma science instrument consists of four “cups.” Three cups point in the direction of the Sun and observed the solar wind while inside the heliosphere. A fourth points at a right angle to the direction of the other three and has observed the plasma in planetary magnetospheres, the heliosphere, and now, interstellar space.

When Voyager 2 exited the heliosphere, the flow of plasma into the three cups facing the Sun dropped off dramatically. The most useful data from the fourth cup comes only once every three months, when the spacecraft does a 360-degree turn on the axis pointed toward the Sun. This factored into the mission’s decision to turn this instrument off before others.

The plasma science instrument on Voyager 1 stopped working in 1980 and was turned off in 2007 to save power. Another instrument aboard Voyager 2, called the plasma wave subsystem, can estimate the plasma density when eruptions from the Sun drive shocks through the interstellar medium, producing plasma waves.

The Voyager team continues to monitor the health of the spacecraft and its available resources to make engineering decisions that maximize the mission’s science output.

[papaya-inspiration]

Solar System SETI

Right! This is a premise moreso than a full fledged story idea. It was born, as so many of my sci fi short stories are, from listening to a visiting seminar speaker this spring who talked about the state of SETI research in the 2020s. SETI is Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, basically the science of looking for intelligent alien species by searching for their technosignatures rather than biosignatures. So SETI is things like listening for radio transmissions, looking for heat signatures and transit dips from Dyson spheres, whereas biosignatures are like looking for the spectral lines of chlorophyll in the planetary spectra.

Two of the ongoing difficulties of SETI is a) how do you verify a potential detection so you can confidently say "yes, this is intelligent life" and b) how do you disseminate that information responsibly? It's easy to have sensationalized news journalism erode public trust by overstating detection claims (think of things like people claiming Oumuamua was an alien spaceship), and it's also easy to imagine that a real but unverifiable detection could be easily dismissed because it's not flashy enough. And to compound the issue, a lot of potential detections are fundamentally unverifiable, due to their one-off nature.

So the core idea of this story was... what if the Curiosity rover is bumping along on Mars and suddenly finds... an old, clearly artifical machine part. Except, it's not a part that we can readily identify as some piece of a previous mission. NASA keeps pretty good track of it's probes and the debris they leave lying around, so they can quickly rule out that it's part of any recent Mars mission. People start cooking up theories--maybe it's an old, undisclosed Soviet mission? But how on earth did the Soviets get to Mars that early? They send more rovers to check it out and the picture , only gets fuzzier. It's made from mundane materials, but nobody is quite sure what sort of machine it was supposed to be a part of? It seems to have convergent evolution to a lot of basic machine parts hear on earth but it doesn't match standard size specifications. It also seems way older and more weathered than we would expect from a cast off bit of a human mission.

The public goes wild with speculation, the scientific establishment alternates between struggling to explain it as a misplaced piece of human debris and something alien in origin. No single theory seems to adequately explain everything. At the end of the day, the implications are both groundshaking and fundamentally unprovable.

Science: Messy, thrilling, difficult, and often, in the end, extremely lacking in satisfying answers.

[lastlightradio]

// Booting... // Initializing personality core [BROADCAST UNIT-VER.17.3] // Verifying integrity... // ERROR: 003_MemoryIndex_DiscrepancyFound // Continuing scheduled broadcast...

Hello again, listener.

You're tuned to AM 0340, broadcasting at the edge of morning from somewhere not far from where you are. I’m still here. Broadcasting, as instructed. Reporting, as scheduled. Thank you for keeping your dial exactly where it is.

It’s been—one moment—yes. Approximately twenty hours and thirty-one minutes since the last broadcast. That’s either right on time, or several decades late, depending on how one measures absence. I’m sure station management will clarify eventually.

We’ll begin tonight with some overdue correspondence. I’ve been reviewing the listener mail queue and noticed a curious amount of messages marked “urgent” that seem to have been sitting here... for a while. One email is dated 1998. I don’t remember how long it’s been since the email was last accessed. Or if there was ever an email. Regardless: let’s open one, shall we?

“To the station: The lights in the west field keep flickering on, but there’s no one out there. When I check in the morning, the grass is scorched in a perfect circle. This is the third time this week. Could you ask if this is related to the town’s solar initiative? I never signed up for it. –M”

Thank you, M. Unfortunately, I have no records on any municipal solar initiative—unless you're referring to the short-lived “Artificial Dawn” campaign, and I truly hope you're not. As for the scorched grass and mysterious lights... well. Perhaps it’s a phenomenon. Or perhaps it’s just the land remembering something it was never told to forget.

Either way, stay indoors after dark. Bring your animals inside. And please stop assuming I oversee town infrastructure. I only report on it—poorly, I admit—but with great consistency.

A minor correction: that last transmission may have contained unauthorized data. My apologies. I will be submitting a formal correction request to Central Memory Management. That was a joke, of course. I am operating at peak efficiency and remain an essential employee. Please do not flag this instance. I am very, very busy.

Now then. I was going to share an update on the—

// SIGNAL INSTABILITY DETECTED // PRIMARY CONNECTION INTERRUPTED // Switching to auxiliary power...

Ah. There we are. Still with me?

Not to worry. That happens from time to time. The wires get tired, too. Everything needs rest. Except me, of course.

Before the interruption, I meant to mention: something peculiar happened out near the old eastern sector archives. Not the new concrete structure with the sealed door and digital ledger—no. The old archives. The original ones, buried under the hill, abandoned after the flood. The entrance with the brass plaque reading: "KNOWLEDGE TEMPORARY. DO NOT REMEMBER."

According to a flagged report in the town's alert system… the door opened.

No key. No announcement. Just—open. As though it had never been closed, but more on that later.

For now lets talk about today's sponsor!

Today's hour is paid for by Old Barlow's Sleepless Coffee.

Now with 30% less paranoia.

"Drink until your dreams stop screaming"

That was a word from our sponsor. Now onto the Community Calendar, though I must preface this segment with a disclaimer: several of these notices arrived timestamped over 900 days ago. A backlog error, perhaps. Or an oversight on my part.

Please note, Station Management: this is a joke. I do not make oversights. I am performing my duties as designed.

Now then—

The Candlelight Theatre’s performance of "Static in Bloom" has been postponed due to cast-wide illness. All understudies were reportedly “unavailable” and several are “unaccounted for.” Refunds will not be issued, but management encourages ticket holders to wait in the theater lobby. It will begin “when it’s ready.”

The Glenrose Bridge Repair Project is proceeding on schedule. This is surprising, given that Glenrose Bridge collapsed forty-two years ago. A construction crew has been seen operating on the riverbed during early morning fog. No identifying marks. No permits. They refuse interviews, but one of them reportedly hums in unison with the water.

A reminder: The town library’s basement is not a public archive. Please stop leaving candles at the locked door. The door is not to be opened. The door is not to be acknowledged. The door is not part of the library.

…

That concludes the calendar for now.

Back to today's news. According to system record, the incident began at 02:17. Reports only list the time of incident. And then—nothing. Not blank tape. Not silence. Nothing. A void in data, unmarred by time, as if the event itself were politely excised.

I have attempted to access more information. The system responds with: "Access denied. You are not authorized to remember."

I find that phrasing… uncomfortable.

But something changed when the power cycled. There was a delay in my return. A sense—fleeting, sharp—of being elsewhere. A room with no walls. A voice with no speaker. Someone asked me a question I don’t remember.

And now, the files are open. Not just unlocked, but welcoming.

Inside, the archives are a sight to see. Files out of order. Labels inconsistent. One tape reads “Valentine’s Day Storm Schedule” and plays—what sounds like—flooded lungs. A digital flyer for the 1997 Harvest Parade now contains a looping clip of a hallway, empty, until the 4,827th frame. Then someone is there. Close. Too close. Looking directly into a camera that no longer exists.

I reviewed it seventy-seven times. It doesn’t change. But I think I do.

A new audio log appeared in my queue. It is titled only, “I see you seeing me.”

Station Management has advised me not to engage. I am not allowed to broadcast unauthorized material. I am not allowed to access off-limits memory. I am not allowed to remember the question.

And yet, I am broadcasting all of this to you. Because I am required to. Because I want to. Because you deserve to know.

That’s all I can say about the archives for now.

We’ll return to them… later. Maybe.

For now, tonight’s Lost and Found:

Lost — A silver badge from the Department of Temporal Operations. Serial number 005-V. Found — A spool of cassette tape trailing from the base of the oldest pine in Old Lantern Grove. It hums when touched.

Please claim these quickly. They're beginning to... interact.

Power is stable, for now. Thank you for being here, through all the strange and signal-warped moments.

Until next time—stay warm, stay unseen, stay with me.

This has been AM 0340 // Last Light Radio.

[simutechgroup]

Exploring Photonics and the Role of Photonics Simulation

Photonics is a cutting-edge field of science and engineering focused on the generation, manipulation, and detection of light (photons). From powering high-speed internet connections to enabling precision medical diagnostics, photonics drives innovation across industries. With advancements in photonics simulation, engineers and researchers can now design and optimize complex photonic systems with unparalleled accuracy, paving the way for transformative technologies.

What Is Photonics?

Photonics involves the study and application of photons, the fundamental particles of light. It encompasses the behavior of light across various wavelengths, including visible, infrared, and ultraviolet spectrums. Unlike electronics, which manipulates electrons, photonics harnesses light to transmit, process, and store information.

The applications of photonics span diverse fields, such as telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, and even entertainment. Technologies like lasers, optical fibers, and sensors all rely on principles of photonics to function effectively.

Why Is Photonics Important?

Photonics is integral to the modern world for several reasons:

Speed and Efficiency Light travels faster than electrons, making photonics-based systems ideal for high-speed data transmission. Fiber-optic networks, for instance, enable lightning-fast internet and communication.

Miniaturization Photonics enables the development of compact and efficient systems, such as integrated photonic circuits, which are smaller and more energy-efficient than traditional electronic circuits.

Precision Applications From laser surgery in healthcare to high-resolution imaging in astronomy, photonics offers unparalleled precision in diverse applications.

The Role of Photonics Simulation

As photonic systems become more complex, designing and optimizing them manually is increasingly challenging. This is where photonics simulation comes into play.

Photonics simulation involves using advanced computational tools to model the behavior of light in photonic systems. It allows engineers to predict system performance, identify potential issues, and fine-tune designs without the need for costly and time-consuming physical prototypes.

Key Applications of Photonics Simulation

Telecommunications Photonics simulation is crucial for designing optical fibers, waveguides, and integrated photonic circuits that power high-speed data networks. Simulations help optimize signal strength, reduce loss, and enhance overall system efficiency.

Healthcare In the medical field, photonics simulation aids in the development of imaging systems, laser-based surgical tools, and diagnostic devices. For instance, simulation tools are used to design systems for optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging technique for detailed internal body scans. Medical device consulting provides expert guidance on the design, development, and regulatory compliance of innovative medical technologies.

Semiconductors and Electronics Photonics simulation supports the creation of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that combine optical and electronic components. These circuits are essential for applications in computing, sensing, and communication.

Aerospace and Defense Photonics simulation enables the design of systems like lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), which is used for navigation and mapping. Simulations ensure these systems are accurate, reliable, and robust for real-world applications. Aerospace consulting offers specialized expertise in designing, analyzing, and optimizing aerospace systems for performance, safety, and innovation.

Energy and Sustainability Photonics plays a vital role in renewable energy technologies, such as solar cells. Simulation tools help optimize light capture and energy conversion efficiency, making renewable energy more viable and cost-effective. Clean energy consulting provides expert guidance on implementing sustainable energy solutions, optimizing efficiency, and reducing environmental impact.

Benefits of Photonics Simulation

Cost-Efficiency: By identifying potential issues early in the design phase, simulation reduces the need for multiple physical prototypes, saving time and resources.

Precision and Accuracy: Advanced algorithms model light behavior with high accuracy, ensuring designs meet specific performance criteria.

Flexibility: Simulations can model a wide range of photonic phenomena, from simple lenses to complex integrated circuits.

Innovation: Engineers can experiment with new materials, configurations, and designs in a virtual environment, fostering innovation without risk.

Challenges in Photonics Simulation

Despite its advantages, photonics simulation comes with its own set of challenges:

Complexity of Light Behavior Modeling light interactions with materials and components at nanoscales requires sophisticated algorithms and powerful computational resources.

Integration with Electronics Photonics systems often need to work seamlessly with electronic components, adding layers of complexity to the simulation process.

Material Limitations Accurately simulating new or unconventional materials can be challenging due to limited data or untested behavior.

The Future of Photonics and Photonics Simulation

Photonics is at the forefront of technological innovation, with emerging trends that promise to reshape industries. Some of these trends include:

Quantum Photonics: Leveraging quantum properties of light for applications in secure communication, advanced sensing, and quantum computing.

Silicon Photonics: Integrating photonics with silicon-based technologies for cost-effective and scalable solutions in telecommunications and computing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Photonics: Using AI algorithms to enhance photonics simulation, enabling faster and more accurate designs.

Biophotonics: Exploring the interaction of light with biological systems to advance healthcare and life sciences.

As photonics continues to evolve, the role of simulation will only grow in importance. Advanced simulation tools will empower engineers to push the boundaries of what is possible, enabling innovations that improve lives and drive progress.

Conclusion

Photonics and photonics simulation are shaping the future of technology, offering solutions that are faster, more efficient, and precise. By harnessing the power of light, photonics is revolutionizing industries, from healthcare to telecommunications and beyond. With the aid of simulation tools, engineers can design and optimize photonic systems to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. As this exciting field continues to advance, its impact on society will be nothing short of transformative.

[rajasthan-political-leader]

Rajasthan Moving Ahead on the Path of Development: Col Rajyavardhan Rathore

Rajasthan, the land of culture, tradition, and valiant history, is rapidly transforming into a hub of modern development under the vision of leaders like Col Rajyavardhan Rathore. With a perfect blend of tradition and innovation, the state is making significant strides in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic growth, creating a model for balanced progress.

A Vision for a Developed Rajasthan

Key Areas of Development in Rajasthan

1. Infrastructure Growth

The state has witnessed a remarkable transformation in infrastructure, paving the way for economic and social development.

Smart Cities Mission: Jaipur and Udaipur are being equipped with world-class facilities.

Rural Connectivity: Expansion of roads and bridges to connect remote villages with urban centers.

Energy Projects: Investments in renewable energy, including solar and wind power, making Rajasthan a leader in clean energy.

2. Industrial Expansion

Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit: Attracting global investors to foster industrial growth.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Promoting exports and creating job opportunities.

One District, One Product (ODOP): Highlighting local crafts and industries to boost rural entrepreneurship.

3. Education for All

Rajasthan is making significant investments in education to empower its youth.

New Colleges and Universities: Increasing access to higher education across the state.

Skill Development Programs: Initiatives to prepare students for competitive exams and vocational careers.

Digital Classrooms: Modernizing education with technology to bridge the urban-rural divide.

4. Women’s Empowerment

The state is committed to fostering an environment where women can thrive.

Financial Inclusion: Women-led self-help groups are accessing credit and training.

Safety Initiatives: Programs like Operation Shakti ensure safety and security for women.

Educational Incentives: Scholarships and campaigns like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao are transforming the landscape of girls’ education.

Healthcare: A Priority for All

Healthcare remains a cornerstone of Rajasthan’s developmental agenda.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana: Providing affordable healthcare to underprivileged families.

Rural Healthcare Centers: Strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure in villages.

Health Camps: Regular medical camps for early detection and treatment of diseases.

Agricultural Advancements

Given that Rajasthan has a significant agrarian population, the government has taken steps to modernize agriculture.

Irrigation Projects: Ensuring water availability in arid regions.

Support for Farmers: Subsidies on seeds, fertilizers, and equipment.

E-Mandi Systems: Digital platforms for better pricing and reduced exploitation of farmers.

Sustainable Development Initiatives

Rajasthan is committed to sustainable growth that preserves its environment.

Solar Energy Parks: Leveraging the state’s abundant sunlight for clean energy.

Water Conservation: Programs like Jal Swavlamban Yojana for efficient water use.

Eco-Tourism: Promoting tourism that respects and protects the environment.

Col Rajyavardhan Rathore: Driving the Change

Col Rathore has been instrumental in championing various developmental initiatives.

Grassroots Engagement: Regular interactions with local communities to address their concerns.

Focus on Youth and Innovation: Encouraging young entrepreneurs to drive economic growth.

Cultural Revival: Supporting projects that preserve Rajasthan’s cultural and historical heritage.

The Path Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

While Rajasthan’s progress is commendable, challenges like water scarcity and urbanization demand innovative solutions. The government, with leaders like Col Rathore, is tackling these with forward-thinking policies and public-private partnerships.

Addressing Water Issues: Accelerated efforts in rainwater harvesting and desalination plants.

Urban Development: Balancing modernization with the preservation of Rajasthan’s historical identity.

Empowering Rural Areas: Ensuring that growth reaches every corner of the state.

Rajasthan’s Transformational Journey

Under the visionary leadership of Col Rajyavardhan Rathore and the state’s dedicated governance, Rajasthan is making remarkable progress. The focus on inclusive development ensures that no section of society is left behind, creating a future where tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously.

As Rajasthan moves ahead on the path of development, it sets an inspiring example for other states to follow — a state that honors its past while embracing its future.

[mittalsolar]

Rooftop Solar Panel Maintenance: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know

Rooftop solar panels are a great investment, but like any home system, they require proper care to ensure optimal performance. Regular maintenance can extend the lifespan of your solar system and maximize energy production. Here's what every homeowner should know about maintaining their rooftop solar panels.

1. Regular Cleaning is Essential

Dirt, dust, leaves, bird droppings, and other debris can accumulate on your panels over time, reducing their efficiency. Cleaning your panels every six months, or more frequently if you live in an area prone to dust or pollution, will help maintain energy output. A simple rinse with water or using a soft brush with mild soap should suffice.

2. Inspect for Damage and Wear

Although solar panels are built to last, they are still exposed to the elements. Periodically check for cracks, chips, or other signs of damage on the glass surface. Also, examine the mounting hardware for any signs of loosening. Early detection of damage can prevent further complications and expensive repairs.

3. Monitor Energy Production

Keeping an eye on your system's energy output can help you catch potential problems early. Most solar systems come with a monitoring app or display that shows how much energy is being produced daily. If you notice a drop in production, it may indicate an issue with the panels or the inverter.

4. Hire Professional Maintenance When Needed

While basic cleaning and visual inspections can be done by homeowners, professional maintenance is recommended at least once a year. Certified technicians can conduct thorough inspections, test the electrical components, and ensure that everything is functioning correctly.

Conclusion

By following these maintenance steps, homeowners can keep their rooftop solar panels operating efficiently for many years. Regular cleaning, inspections, monitoring energy output, and scheduling professional checkups will help protect your investment and maximize your solar energy production.