#australia:

[s2z]

West Sunshine, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 2024-02-15 13:21:19 by stuart murdoch Via Flickr: Sometimes I feel like I'm in a J.G. Ballard novel. One of several projects, that explore photography as evidence amongst other ideas. Tumblr | Instagram | Photography links | my Ko-fi shop | F*#kYeahTrolleyed | s2z digital garden | pixelfed.social | vero | Dpreview albums | my work archived on trove at the N.L.A.

[sublimeobservationarcade]

Australia Is Kissing The Ring Of Trump

Today, we heard that  Donald Trump has given his approval for the AUKUS deal. Why wouldn’t he? In this deal, Australia pays billions of dollars to the US to boost their nuclear submarine building capacity. There are, however, no iron clad guarantees that we will receive any submarines. Donald Trump would love such a deal with billions going to the US military industrial complex and delays are always par for the course with these kinds of arrangements. Australia is kissing the ring of Trump by relinquishing our sovereignty by allowing a greater US military presence within our territory and becoming further subservient to American interests. “US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Donald Trump is "supportive" of the AUKUS alliance, after Australia sent a $US500 million ($798 million) payment to Washington as part of it.” - (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-08/donald-trump-supportive-of-aukus-pete-hegseth-says/104913062)

Why Is Australia Doing This?

Fear of China. The age old fear of the yellow peril has never left the Anglo-settler psyche. Despite the fact that America is currently led by a crooked mob boss style president we are willing to bend the knee out of fear. Low self-esteem on the international stage makes us an easy mark for grifters and conmen. Former PM Scott ‘The Liar’ Morrison, who is over in the US lining his pockets with gold by working for that military industrial complex, signed over the $368 billion ‘worst deal in history’  on our behalf. The LNP Coalition love these macro corruption schemes, where hundreds of billions of dollars of our money get funnelled into bank accounts near and dear to them. You could call them nuclear powered scams of epic proportions. “Key members of the new Trump administration have backed the AUKUS, which will cost Australia up to $368 billion over 30 years.’ - (https://au.news.yahoo.com/massive-aukus-down-payment-sent-220229624.html)

Trump’s Approval Of Australia Paying The US Billions

Most Australians are not interested in politics and just want to get on with their lives. This makes us susceptible to these macro corruption schemes, which are considered above our pay grade. The AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, if combined with Peter Dutton’s nuclear reactor proposals, will cost us close to a trillion dollars over decades. Much of this money, our money, will go to overseas interests for decades. You see, we have no expertise in these things and when you come in blind – you get ripped off. Everybody knows this, it is like when you take your car to a mechanic. Dutton and his mates, however, will be syphoning off tens of millions in insider fees. The chump change on such mega deals are worth plenty to the facilitators of such macro corruption. This is how the world works these days, it is a rentier economy, a land of endless fees, rents, and backhanders for those in the right places. The South Seas Protection Racket Now, you might say but we need the US to protect us from the big bad Chinese! We would have that protection anyways without upping the ante by $368 billion. We are paying for the privilege of becoming America’s coastguard in the waters around China. Factually, there is no current reason to expect any invasion by the Chinese. Why would they? They already have their own minerals and resources. No, it is all about limiting their power in the region. This is a power game. The Trump regime is slashing overseas spending for things like aid and turning inwards. It wants to preserve its hegemony by cajoling and forcing allies to perform the roles it is cutting back on. Donald Trump is all about personal aggrandisement. Australia is kissing the ring of Trump. Who Is The Bad Guy? The fear mongers always point to the Chinese as the bad guys but are they really in comparison with Trump? Isn’t it time to be clear eyed about this stuff rather than gripped by age old racial fears? Trump is turning the FBI, CIA and DOJ into his own fiefdoms of muscle and intelligence. The rule of law in America is no longer impartial. Trump released convicted thugs and militia from the January 6 insurrection putting them back on the streets despite their crimes. This is a dangerous time to be alive in the US if you have a contrary point of view about things. The media is being constrained and whipped into shape by financial threats. Most of America has been corporatized. Did you know that 78% of all US doctors work for corporations? Where are the independent voices? Trump threatens these corporations with sanctions and mob violence. America may well be the real bad guy in this current global story.  Australia might have to ask itself who it really wants for an ally? Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS by U.S. Forest Service (source) is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0 Australia kissing the ring of Trump means siding with a country led by a serial sexual offender and white supremacist. Maybe, quite a few Aussie blokes will be happy about that. The rest of us might have to look up above the parapets for a moment and make some clear headed assessments about American hegemony. It is not one way or the other, as clever nations straddle the field. Australia smartly avoided the nuclear option for many decades since WW2. We stood on our own two feet and resisted becoming the 51st American state. Our current crop of leaders have lost that gumption in this multinational corporatized world. Our politicians are less themselves and more the creatures of backroom influences. The neoliberal order has denuded them of real power. Dutton might appear to be the tough guy but he is in the pocket of the hard right, who kowtow to the US. These guys want to turn the clock back to a time when women had few rights outside of the home. To a time when lesser races knew their place. Like Trump they want to smash diversity and return power to white males across the board. Many women and members of minority groups might say that power never really left those hands and that what we have seen in Australia has largely been window dressing. All these agencies of human rights etc are toothless tigers when it comes down to it. The anti-woke drive is a battle cry for the already dominant cohort wanting more for those who have more to start with. The horrendous destruction of Gaza and the more than 50, 000 women, children and men slaughtered by the IDF is chilling. Especially, in light of this conflation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism. It seems that Arabs don’t count as human beings to many in Australia and around the white skinned world. Of course, some passionate people are going to be angry about this genocide.  Peter Dutton, feted by the Israelis, has used this to divide Australia by turning protesters into terrorists and attempting to create a frenzy of fear. This has been Dutton’s MO since becoming Opposition leader – divide and hopefully conquer. New Corp, the company that owns much of our media, has splashed its front pages with rabble rousing headlines to accompany this fear mongering. Kids throwing eggs and painting graffiti slogans are hardly terrorism. Talking of News Corp, their newspapers falsely  reported that asylum seeking refugees brought their family members to Australia to live to the tune of 21, 518 people. The actual number was 10 times smaller but their ineptitude got it wrong and they splashed these lies over their front pages. This media organisation is a disgrace and we would be served well if rid of them.   “On January 28, News Corp mastheads including the Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph and Courier-Mail published the exclusive article on their front pages. According to the article the 21,581 figure was based on "new" information from the Department of Home Affairs.” (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-31/how-an-error-kicked-off-misinformation-on-asylum-seeker-visas/104883144) Are Australians as dumb as their American counterparts? The Arab voters in Michigan were so out of touch with who Trump is that they voted for him and turned against the Democrats. Now, Trump wants to remove all Palestinians from Gaza and develop it as a real estate project. Those Michigan Arab Americans are regretting their stupidity now. This is the ever present danger of political disengagement by the community. If you don’t watch the leopard you wont know that he never changes his spots. President Trump Calls Astronauts During First All-Woman Spacewalk (NHQ201910180019) by NASA HQ PHOTO is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 Defence spending is always wasteful and feeds macho paranoia. The current political battle taking place around the place is a gender war. Men, despite still holding the lion’s share of power, are marshalling forces to beat down diversity driven inroads into their leadership mantle. Men clearly remain the power elite within our societies but have taken offence at the efforts of women to strive for equality. This is why Peter Dutton has been called the 'man whisperer'. The male ego has been threatened and many men want to beat back the competition. The bad cop on the beat is positioning himself as their champion. Trump and his right wing pals stateside are the heroes of the hour and emulation is on the minds of blokes downunder. Australia kissing the ring of Trump fits with this narrative. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump. ©MidasWord NASA's Space Launch System and American Flag by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC-BY-NC 2.0 Read the full article

[jcmarchi]

Taking A Close Look At The Science Behind Infrared Saunas - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/taking-a-close-look-at-the-science-behind-infrared-saunas-technology-org/

Taking A Close Look At The Science Behind Infrared Saunas - Technology Org

Infrared saunas have become increasingly popular in Australia in recent years. But what exactly are they, and what are the scientific explanations behind their touted health benefits? Let’s take a close look at the science behind infrared saunas.

How Infrared Saunas Work

Unlike traditional saunas which use heat to warm the air, infrared saunas use light waves to directly heat your body. The saunas contain infrared heaters that emit infrared radiation. Infrared rays have longer wavelengths than visible light, meaning they penetrate deeper into the skin.

When absorbed by the body, the infrared rays warm up your body directly rather than just heating the air around you. This allows infrared saunas to operate at lower temperatures (typically 50-60°C) compared to regular saunas (usually around 80-100°C). The lower operating temperature makes infrared saunas more comfortable to sit in for longer periods.

Infrared wavelengths are divided into three categories:

Near infrared – Near infrared wavelengths range from 700nm to 1400nm. Near infrared radiation has the lowest energy and penetrates the least deeply into the skin, only about 3-4mm. However, it does penetrate deeper than visible light. Near infrared wavelengths interact with chromophores in the skin, particularly melanin. This means near infrared can help increase skin pigmentation and reduce the appearance of sun spots and scars.

Mid infrared – Mid infrared wavelengths range from 1400nm to 3000nm. Mid infrared penetrates deeper into the skin, around 5-6mm. At these depths, mid infrared rays interact with water molecules in the skin. This can help stimulate collagen production and cell renewal. Mid infrared also interacts with blood vessels just under the skin, causing localized dilation to increase blood flow.

Far infrared – Far infrared wavelengths range from 3000nm to 10000nm. Of the three categories, far infrared penetrates by far the deepest – up to 2 inches into the skin. At these depths, far infrared radiation interacts with blood vessels, muscles, ligaments and other subcutaneous tissues. This leads to the dilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow, similar to exercise. Far infrared also interacts with water molecules deep in the skin, producing a thermal effect that leads to profuse sweating.

Infrared saunas in Melbourne mainly use far infrared wavelengths, which have the deepest tissue penetration. The far infrared waves are absorbed by the skin and produce numerous therapeutic effects.

Increased Blood Flow

Multiple studies have shown that infrared sauna use causes an increase in blood flow similar to moderate exercise. When your body is exposed to infrared heat, your blood vessels expand and dilate to increase blood flow, which improves circulation and provides muscles and organs with more oxygen and nutrients. The enhanced blood flow during the sauna session also helps remove metabolic waste products.

Lower Blood Pressure

Multiple studies have shown that infrared sauna therapy can help lower blood pressure in those with hypertension. The infrared heat causes blood vessels to expand and increase blood flow. This increased blood flow leads to an immediate reduction in blood pressure that can last for up to an hour after you finish your sauna session. With regular use over time, the sauna can help lower baseline blood pressure values.

Relaxation

The soothing infrared heat helps relax the body and relieve tension in the muscles. Infrared rays are also thought to have a calming effect on the mind. Many people report emerging from an infrared sauna feeling rejuvenated and relaxed. This relaxation response can be very beneficial for both the body and mind.

Improved Skin Health

The deep heating effects of infrared rays have been shown to encourage the production of collagen in the skin. Collagen helps reduce the signs of aging. Regular use of an infrared sauna can help improve the appearance of the skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The saunas may also improve inflammatory skin conditions like acne and eczema.

Pain Relief

Infrared saunas can provide natural pain relief in several ways. Firstly, the heat relaxes muscles and relieves muscle aches and pains. Secondly, the dilation of blood vessels increases circulation which speeds up the body’s natural healing processes and delivery of pain-relieving endorphins. Lastly, the endorphins released act as natural painkillers. People with chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis often report reduced pain levels after using infrared saunas regularly.

Weight Loss

Due to the intense sweating experienced in infrared saunas, they have been marketed for weight loss purposes. However, researchers have found that the elevation in heart rate during infrared sauna use only represents a moderate level of exertion. This means that while there is a temporary increase in metabolic rate, the overall number of calories burned is fairly low. Regular infrared sauna sessions may contribute slightly to weight loss but are not a replacement for regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Overall, when used safely and correctly, infrared saunas can provide some great therapeutic health benefits. But as with any new health therapy, make sure to do your own research and consult your GP if you have any concerns.

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[australiamatrimonial]

(via Worldwide Match Maker)

[longreads]

How Concerned Citizens Drove a Neo-Nazi Out of Rural Maine

Christopher Pohlhaus planned to build a fascist training compound in the woods of rural Maine. The local journalists, veterans, lumberjacks, and policymakers weren't having it.

Pohlhaus, 37, is a former U.S. marine, an itinerant tattoo artist, and a hardcore white-supremacist influencer. He is loud and hostile, and proud to be both. His voice is pitched surprisingly high, and he has a slight Southern drawl. He has a large body and small bald head; a blue-black tattoo crawls up the right side of his face, from his chin to his forehead. Over the years, Pohlhaus has collected thousands of social media followers, who know him by his nickname: Hammer.

Hammer had been living in Texas for a few years when, in March 2022, he bought the land in Maine. He told his followers that he was going to use it to build a haven, operational center, and training ground for white supremacists.

Check out our excerpt of The Atavist’s latest blockbuster story. 

[389]

PORTO ROCHA

[nanaluvbug]

🧀🥪🌶️🥭 The Ravening War portraits  🧀🥪🌶️🥭

patreon * twitch * shop  

[ID: a series of digitally illustrated portraits showing - top left to bottom right - Bishop Raphaniel Charlock (an old radish man with a big red head and large white eyebrows & a scraggly beard. he wears green and gold robes with symbols of the bulb and he smirks at the viewer) Karna Solara (a skinny young chili pepper woman with wavy green hair, freckled light green skin with red blooms on her cheeks. she wears a chili pepper hood lined with small pepper seeds and stares cagily ahead) Thane Delissandro Katzon (a muscular young beef man with bright pinkish skin with small skin variations to resemble pastrami and dark burgundy hair. he wears a bread headress with a swirl of rye covering his ears and he looks ahead, optimistic and determined) Queen Amangeaux Epicée du Peche (a bright mango woman with orange skin, big red hair adorned with a green laurel, and sparkling green/gold makeup. she wears large gold hoop earrings and a high leafy collar) and Colin Provolone (a scraggly cheese man with waxy yellow skin and dark slicked back hair and patchy dark facial hair. he wears a muted, ratty blue bandana around his neck and raises a scarred brow at the viewer with a smirk) End ID.)

[70sscifiart]

One of my favorites by Paul Lehr, used as a 1971 cover to "Earth Abides," by George R. Stewart. It's also in my upcoming art book!

[taizooo]

もともとは10年ほど前にTumblrにすごくハマっていて。いろんな人をフォローしたらかっこいい写真や色が洪水のように出てきて、もう自分で絵を描かなくて良いじゃん、ってなったんです。それで何年も画像を集めていって、そこで集まった色のイメージやモチーフ、レンズの距離感など画面構成を抽象化して、いまの感覚にアウトプットしています。画像の持つ情報量というものが作品の影響になっていますね。

映画『きみの色』山田尚子監督×はくいきしろい対談。嫉妬し合うふたりが語る、色と光の表現｜Tokyo Art Beat

[layla-keating]

#thistension

XO, KITTY — 1.09 “SNAFU”

[sublimeobservationarcade]

Hugh White Hoists Up AUKUS White Flag

Australia has a lousy record when it comes to submarines. It seems submarines bring out the worst in our defence force and our national security aspirations. Hugh White hoists up AUKUS white flag in recent essay. Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU, Hugh White knows a thing or two about this topic and Australian national security capabilities. Younger Aussies may not remember our ongoing challenges with the Collins class submarines. They may not be au fait with our dalliance with the French in regard to supplying us with submarines pre-AUKUS. The Japanese were in the running there for a while too. Basically, submarines and Australia have a perpetually sinking relationship, it seems. Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS by U.S. Forest Service (source) is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

Lies, Scotty, AUKUS & The Anglosphere

Scott Morrison, the former PM was celebrated in 2021 for striking a deal with the Americans and the British to supply little old Australia with nuclear submarines. Australia has proudly been a firmly non-nuclear state for the entirety of its short independent life. So, it was somewhat surprising that nuclear subs would be put on the table and signed off on without any discussion or public debate. Scott the celebrated liar, who seriously pissed off the French President Macron over this about-face, was seen gladhanding Boris with the messy hair and President Biden in photo shoots near these sleek underwater boats. This was a much lauded return of the Anglosphere and we were loading up on some apex predator weapons to shake in the face of big bad China.

The Aussie Submarine Syndrome & AUKUS

A closer inspection of the details and timelines did confirm that we would not actually get any submarines until the mid to late 2030’s. In fact, we would not receive the ones we would be building probably until the 2060’s. Australia would be relying on picking up one or two second hand subs from the Yanks, if they could spare them because they were running pretty low on them for their own defence needs. Yes, the deal was costing around $360 billion and guarantees were a bit thin on the ground when it came to getting actual submarines. Not The Clever Country & Luck Won’t Cut It Submarines are seriously expensive pieces of high tech military hardware. Nuclear submarines are at another level of complexity again from our existing fleet of ageing diesel powered Collins subs. Australia does not have a great record when it comes to managing and developing these kinds of things. Hugh White has grave fears that our Royal Australian Navy is just not up to the job. We do not have enough submariners now and we definitely do not have the technical skills or workforce to meet the demands of AUKUS. Yes, there are years ahead to find what is required but it will be no simple task. The challenges facing us are enormous and a hell of a lot of things are going to have to go right. Unfortunately, submarines and Oz have a lousy track record together and things going right traditionally do not happen. Australia Has Not Invested In High Tech Manufacturing Australia has taken the easy option when it comes to our economy and the demise of the local manufacturing sector. The LNP Coalition government pulled the pin on our car manufacturing industry and a lot of skills were lost then and there. These decisions have long terms consequences for the future of our kids and the knowledge basis within the nation. We, as a nation have not invested in high tech manufacturing. We have been all too willing to take the cheaper option of letting some other country do the complicated stuff and we would just buy it off them. What this does is not invest in the minds and skillsets of our people. Governments and Australian business have not invested strongly in research and development. You cannot go in this direction for decades and then just turn around and say we are going to build nuclear submarines – it is completely unrealistic. You cannot just flick a switch! It takes decades and massive investment to be able to realistically take on a project like AUKUS. You have to build a foundation of highly skilled people who know what they are doing and this takes many, many years. Photo by vectors icon on Pexels.com Post Colonial Pipe Dreams In East Asia Professor White wonders why we want to resurrect the Anglo trinity after such a long period of time. Britain have not been in our neck of the woods since the fall of Singapore in WW2. He thinks it is further fantasy to think that we will, along with the US rule the waves of East Asia in the 21C. The world is a changing place, the rise of China is being joined by the rise of India economically, and Indonesia will similarly rise by 2050. These nations with huge populations will be the dominant powers in this region. It is a pipe dream to think that America will maintain its hegemony in East Asia. Why are we investing massive amounts of money in these submarines? They are not really going to defend our sovereign borders. Rather, they are designed to assist the US in policing the South China Sea and keeping China penned in. Trump 2.0 Will Sink AUKUS If Trump regains the presidency all AUKUS bets are off, anyway. Trump is an isolationist and won’t be selling any nuclear subs to far flung Australia. Hugh White reckons we would be better off investing all that money in new generation non-nuclear subs – we will get a lot more submarines for our buck. We require a fleet of submarines, not one or two nuclear submarines, and the time frames for AUKUS are ridiculous. We are leaving ourselves undefended for decades because the Collins subs are at the end of their lives, as we speak. Submarines by their very nature are often in dry dock getting fixed, which means that you need at least 6 to have 2 operational at any one time. AUKUS is a pipe dream and it will not happen. We are wasting large amounts of money on it now and it will never happen. To be harsh the genesis of AUKUS is born of the post pandemic trauma, where nations realised that they are too dependent upon other countries for essential supply chains. When the shit hits the fan you don’t want to be reliant on places far away for what you really need. AUKUS is, also, a manifestation of that old white supremacist colonial powers in Asia mentality – which is another reason why it is not based in reality. Remember Bob Hawke and Paul Keating telling us that we are a part of Asia? Well, we are; and it is time for the LNP hawks to realise that Britain is not ever going to save us and America is only a 50/50 bet at best. We need to focus on defending our own borders and not building our defence policy around America. We want to be good strategic partners with those nations in our region. Even more, we want to, also, emphasise our excellent diplomatic relations with China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and all the nations in SE Asia. Talk quietly and carry a big stick – is a sound foreign relations approach. Let’s carry our own big stick rather than Americas. “The latest issue of Australian Foreign Affairs examines Australia’s momentous decision to form a security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom that includes an ambitious, expensive and risky plan to acquire nuclear-power submarines – a move that will have far-reaching military and strategic consequences. Dead in the Water looks at whether the AUKUS deal will enhance or undermine Australia’s security as tensions between China and the US rise, at the impact on Australia’s ties with its regional neighbours, and at whether the submarines plan is likely to ever be achieved.” - (https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/essay/2024/02/dead-in-the-water) Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of Money Matters: Navigating Credit, Debt, and Financial Freedom.  ©MidasWord Photo by Jonathan Cooper on Pexels.com Read the full article

[jcmarchi]

On the hunt for extreme stars from the sofa - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/on-the-hunt-for-extreme-stars-from-the-sofa-technology-org/

On the hunt for extreme stars from the sofa - Technology Org

When large radio telescopes look for the regular blinking of neutron stars, which rotate very quickly around their own axis like cosmic lighthouses, these telescopes initially collect large amounts of data that need to be sifted through. The signals from such pulsars, which would help us to understand fundamental physics better, are all too well hidden in the data and analysing them is very computationally intensive. Citizens can now help to search for such hidden signals even better from home.

Cosmic lighthouse: A radio pulsar is a compact neutron star that accelerates charged particles to relativistic speeds in its powerful magnetic field. Radio waves (green) are emitted in a cone shape above the magnetic poles. The rotation swivels the radio light cones across the line of sight of the radio telescope, causing the pulsar to light up periodically in the data. Image credit: NASA/Fermi/Cruz de Wilde

Distributed computing augmented by distributed thinking

Since its launch in 2005, the Einstein@Home project has been searching for and finding new neutron stars and compact remnants of exploded massive stars by incorporating the judgement of volunteers and their home computing capacities. The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in Hanover and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are running the project. “Getting volunteers more directly involved in Einstein@Home and having them view and actively classify pulsar candidates has been our plan for a long time. It’s great to see this become a reality with this new Zooniverse project,” says Bruce Allen, director of Einstein@Home and director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) in Hannover, Germany. Einstein@Home pools the otherwise unused computing power on the PCs of more than 15,000 volunteers, making it one of the largest projects of its kind in the world. Since 2009, Einstein@Home has analysed data from the Arecibo radio telescope and found 31 new radio pulsars, a special type of neutron star. Einstein@Home is now working together with Zooniverse. On this successful web portal for citizen science, volunteers can classify graphical representations of the Einstein@Home results in order to discover further pulsars in the Arecibo data.

Neutron stars are compact remnants of supernova explosions and consist of extremely dense matter. They are about 25 kilometers across and weigh more than our Sun. Because of their strong magnetic fields and fast rotation, they emit beams of radio waves like a cosmic lighthouse. When these beams point toward Earth during the neutron star’s rotation, it becomes visible as a radio pulsar. Pulsars are excellent astrophysical tools that enable research in several areas of astronomy, such as testing Einstein’s theory of general relativity, understanding the behavior of extremely dense matter, studying the thin gas between stars and our Galaxy’s magnetic field, and for searching low-frequency gravitational waves.

To date, Einstein@Home has discovered 31 radio pulsars in data from the Arecibo telescope, 24 radio pulsars in data from Parkes Observatory in Australia, and 39 gamma-ray emitting pulsars in data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Observatory. The project’s long-term goal is the detection of continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars that have yet to be observed.

Hunting for treasures in Arecibo’s legacy

To search for new radio pulsars, telescopes like the iconic Arecibo radio telescope, which sadly collapsed in December 2020, observe hundreds of thousands of points in the sky, each for a few minutes. Each of these observations must then be checked for the regular pulsations expected from radio pulsars. Searches for pulsars alone in space can be done in a short time on a small number of computers. The search for pulsars in close orbits is much more computationally intensive, but worthwhile. If researchers could measure two neutron stars orbiting each other with orbital periods of just a few minutes, they would be able to subject the general theory of relativity to the most accurate tests yet.

Thanks to the Einstein@Home volunteers and the computing power they donate to the project, such searches become feasible. When the volunteers’ computers are finished analyzing an Arecibo observation, the end result of their combined efforts is a long list of nearly 400,000 candidates, or possible pulsar signals, each characterized by a handful of numbers. Typically, no more than one true pulsar is expected in an observation.

Separating the wheat from the chaff

“Einstein@Home has analyzed more than 150,000 observations made by the Arecibo radio telescope,” says Alexandra Botnariuc from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. “This gives us the gigantic number of 60 billion pulsar candidates! This is far too many to look at each one individually, and most of them aren’t real astrophysical signals anyway”. She developed and implemented an algorithm to reduce this number by detecting similar candidates that are likely caused by the same astrophysical signal, and by identifying the most pulsar-like among them.

To get the ball rolling, the research team prepared diagnostic plots for the 50,000 most promising Einstein@Home pulsar candidates and set up a new Zooniverse project called “Pulsar Seekers”. “The number of candidates is so large that it is impractical for one person to do the job. This makes the collective human effort of Zooniverse participants invaluable in identifying true pulsar candidates,” says Rahul Sengar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who is leading the Pulsar Seekers project. “We can’t wait to see what Zooniverse citizen scientists discover in our data!”

Citizen scientists will receive a short and simple tutorial on Zooniverse to teach them how to tell real pulsars from noise. “If all goes well, and several thousand Zooniverse volunteers participate in ‘Pulsar Seekers’, they will be able to sort through our first 50,000 pulsar candidates, separate the wheat from the chaff, and maybe find some exciting new pulsars, in just a few days,” says Colin Clark from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. 

Source: MPG

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[nevver]

No one wants to be here and no one wants to leave, Dave Smith (because)

[australiamatrimonial]

(via Worldwide Match Maker)

[foodffs]

Noodles with Lamb Sauce (Laghman, 新疆拌面) Xinjiang laghman features chewy noodles served with a bold and rich lamb and tomato sauce that is bursting with flavor.

Recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/recipes/uyghur-style-noodles-with-lamb-sauce