A supermassive black hole sits at the center of our galaxy and there are usually no activities being detected from it, until astronomers notice the black hole called Sagittarius A* lighting up brighter than normal in May.

The closest supermassive black hole to Earth, called Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*, suddenly got 75 times brighter than normal along the near-infrared region of the light spectrum for two hours on May 13, a team of scientists has found.

"The black hole was so bright I at first mistook it for the star S0-2, because I had never seen Sgr A* that bright," Tuan Do, an astronomer and lead author of the paper, told ScienceAlert. "I knew almost right away there was probably something interesting going on with the black hole."

So far, nobody knows exactly why it lit up but the main theory is that two objects that passed by it in 2014 and 2018 may have something to do with it.

The researchers think such an interaction could have caused this bright flash. Specifically, they said, an interaction with a nearby star that passed near Sgr A* in 2018 could have disturbed gas flows at the edge of the black hole's grasp.

They also pointed to a dust cloud that passed near Sgr A* in 2014 but didn't get dramatically torn apart the way astronomers thought it would. The brightness could be a "delayed reaction," they wrote.

(Image credit: NASA)

The scary thing about flying is that there are so many ways one can die several thousands of kilometers and it feels as though you have no control over it. But miraculously, according to Russian state television, a Ural airlines flight had safely landed over a cornfield outside Moscow after it hit a flock of birds.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid lauded the pilot Damir Yusupov as a hero, saying he had saved 233 lives, “having masterfully landed a plane without its landing gear with a failing engine right in a cornfield”.

Some compared the landing to that of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009 after it struck a flock of geese. The Russian plane’s engines were turned off when it made the emergency landing and it also had its landing gear up, said Elena Mikheyeva, a spokeswoman for Russia’s civil aviation authority.

More of this story on The Guardian.

(Image credit: Reuters)

The concept of common sense is often equated with being practical or doing the most reasonable course of action on a given situation based on one's own experiences. Often, this trait is associated with resourcefulness and being able to adapt to any circumstance quickly.

However, if you think about it, "common sense" isn't always common neither does it make sense all the time. And there are also instances when you cannot infer something based on the information or data you have been given and attribute that to "common sense" since the outcomes may differ depending on the factors involved or on a case-to-case basis.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the common sense argument is that it is invariably supported by anecdotal evidence. For example, in a discussion about the weather, the economy, child-rearing, sports, what have you, how often do you hear some variation of “Well, it’s been my experience that [fill in the blank].”

The case against the concept of "common sense" is that our individual experiences can lead to different outcomes and to say that one would be able to understand what to do in a certain situation based on experience or in some cases, based on what people would normally do or ought to do is a bit rash, to put it mildly.

Of course, one would still need to carefully analyze the different factors in a situation and come up with the best course of action from there.

We need to jettison this notion of the sanctity of common sense and instead embrace “reasoned sense,” that is, sound judgment based on rigorous study of an issue. We can, and should, apply many of the basic principles of the scientific method (develop hypotheses, collect and analyze data, draw reasoned conclusions) in our daily lives and challenge the facile and sometimes harebrained ideas that our friends — and even some of our leaders — unthinkingly spout. That is the kind of sense that makes the most sense, however common or uncommon it might be.

(Image credit: geralt/Pixabay)

It was a traumatic experience for Abigail Wardle when her son's leg, several months after being diagnosed with sepsis, had just come off and was suddenly thrust into a battle between life and death. And it all started when she noticed something peculiar but seemingly not serious.

Abigail first took her son to an out-of-hours GP on March 16, when she noticed his soft spot appeared to be sunken. But she says she was sent home and told her to give him fluids and Calpol.

But by the next day, he had deteriorated - and Abigail again took Oliver to see a doctor. When he arrived at the hospital, a nurse took one look at him and rushed him to resus, where a team of doctors began battling to save his life.

After going through that first ordeal, doctors had warned Oliver's parents that if his body continued to deteriorate, he might not survive. Thankfully, he pulled through however, the sepsis had damaged his limbs severely such that doctors say they needed to be amputated.

However, the date for the amputation was delayed. Until one day, while at the hospital, his leg just fell off.

"One day, a nurse was helping me lift Oliver from his bouncy chair back into the bed, and his leg just came away. "The doctors came running in and asked me if I wanted to leave the room because it was quite distressing.

"I told them: 'My son's leg has just fallen off and is hanging on by a thread, I am not going to leave him here.'

"Once he had his limbs removed, he was like a different child - so happy and full of life, it seemed like a relief for him."

Now, Oliver is alive and well, limbless but alive, which is the best we could have hoped for in his situation. The whole affair was truly terrifying for anyone to go through, let alone Oliver but he pulled through and is now adjusting to his life without limbs.

-via Insider

(Image credit: Caters News Agency)

We previously featured the mysterious temple on Little St. James and what people thought might be inside it. Three days ago, the island was raided by FBI and for a short moment, a drone was able to capture and take a look at the inside of the building before police shut the windows.

The raids on Little St. James took place two days after Epstein died by suicide while being held in a Manhattan jail on sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges.

Footage posted by a YouTube account named "Rusty Shackleford" show agents walking through Epstein's home, and blocking windows once they notice the drone.

It isn't much but it is something. Until the police finish up their investigation, we might not be able to find out what is inside the temple-like structure or what it's doing on the island. For now, we have to be satisfied with what little we have and hold off on our speculations until we find out the truth.

(Image credit: Marco Bello/Reuters)

Operating on 100% renewable energy is a very expensive endeavor for any business to undertake but Organic Valley had set its sights on implementing that policy for their company.

However, it was quite difficult for them to find a partner to develop the project. And so began their quest for clean energy that led to a collaboration between organizations and states to meet their goals and paved the way for the largest-ever solar project in Wisconsin.

The Butter Solar Project consists of 32 megawatts installed at 10 locations feeding into 13 municipal utilities in three states. A who's who of co-op grocery store shelves including Organic Valley, Dr. Bronner's and Clif Bar have signed on to buy the renewable credits along with the city of Madison.

It all started with a quest by Organic Valley to operate on 100% renewable energy before the project mushroomed into a much larger initiative, said Eric Udelhofen, project director for the developer, OneEnergy Renewables.

Read more of the story on Lacrosse Tribune.

(Image credit: OneEnergy Renewables)

In a new study by geoscientists, they were able to make estimates on how long magma from the volcano Theistareykir was stored deep in the Earth and how long it took for it to travel to the surface using something called crystal clocks.

To determine how long the magma was stored at the Moho before erupting, the team used a volcanic mineral called spinel as a crystal stopwatch.

“The elements in the crystal want to be in equilibrium with the surroundings,” Mutch explained.

As the elements equilibrate by diffusing out of the spinel, the mineral’s composition changes, creating a kind of crystal clock. Using known diffusion rates for aluminum and chromium, the team was able to determine how long the minerals were stored in the melt before it erupted, in this case about a thousand years, they wrote in Science.

This gives scientists more insight on the magmatic systems that lie underground and perhaps it may also provide a framework of predicting eruptions of other volcanoes with the model that they used.

(Image credit: Euan Mutch)

We often think of Mars as a barren wasteland of red dust and sand. However, new data from Mars Express show that Mars is actually teeming with rich colors from reds to yellows and even greens.

Mars is often referred to as the Red Planet, due to the characteristic hue of its orb in the sky. Up close, however, the planet is actually covered in all manner of colours – from bright whites and dark blacks to yellows, reds, greens, and the cappuccino tones seen here.

These differences in colour are visible from telescopes on Earth. They are undeniably visually striking, but also reveal a significant amount about the composition and properties of the surface material itself.

Since Mars had once had volcanic activity, so there are darker surfaces where minerals are said to abound. Furthermore, with evidence that might suggest the presence of water on Mars in the past, this would give the planet a more diverse composition of its surface.

(Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin)

If you find yourself drifting off toward a waterfall, there is a way in order for you to survive the plunge. And don't think that since you're falling into water that it will cushion your fall.

The reason folks perish when they fall into water from a significant height is because the speed of the fall combined with the surface tension of the water makes it akin to landing on concrete. But with a waterfall, the force of the water coming down breaks some of that tension and makes for a “softer” landing. That said, it’s still a highly dangerous endeavor.

Despite the waterfall providing some buffer, it still exerts tremendous force that once you fall at the bottom, you might get crushed by the falling water and drown. But this infographic by Art of Manliness shows the proper technique for you to land safely and propel yourself away onto dry ground.

-via Nag on the Lake

(Image credit: Rio Hodges/Unsplash)

As far as mergers and acquisitions go, the CBS-Viacom merger is one of the most anticipated and long-awaited reunions in the entertainment industry.

This is of course in response to aggressive expansion of its competitors such as Disney whose recent acquisition of several assets from Fox is laying the groundwork for major blockbuster hits in TV and film.

With the merger, several franchises and other intellectual properties could pave the way for expansion of the shows' respective universes and exploring further the stories of beloved characters.

Huge action franchises like “Mission: Impossible” and “Transformers” from Paramount Pictures could explore new origin stories or exploit quirky side-characters for streaming series on the CBS over-the-top platform All Access. All Access is also currently building out the “Star Trek” TV universe, with three shows under the franchise’s umbrella set to be on the streaming service in 2020.

Signs of synergy are already cropping up as well. CBS, which owns the TV licensing rights to “Star Trek,” gave its blessing for a cartoon take on the sci-fi classic at Nickelodeon this year.

Of course, all of this can only happen if the merger will be approved. So we'll have to wait and see what comes next.

-via Pop Culture Brain

(Image credit: Alexei Vella/Variety)

One of the things I would love to do someday is to travel to various places and be able to work there as well. I'd like to have time to go on an adventure and not have to worry about how much I would be spending since I can work. Not a lot of countries allow you to do that. But Japan does. And they call it "Working Holidays".

In Japan, a working holiday is a visa classification that falls under the "Designated Activities" category. It allows you to live, travel, and work in Japan for a limited period of time, usually about a year, although it varies by country. Working holiday programs are bilateral agreements Japan enters into with individual countries, which means that if you're working in Japan, there's a Japanese counterpart working in your country too.

According to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this kind of visa allows young people to enter Japan "primarily for the purpose of spending holidays while allowing them to engage in employment as an incidental activity of their holidays for the purpose of supplementing their travel funds." This means the visa is specifically designed for you to work part-time or freelance, all while having the time of your life.

Learn more about Working Holidays on Tofugu.

(Image credit: Aya Francisco/Tofugu)

A grand work of modern architecture, the MECA was designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and is meant to be a cradle or a gathering place for various art institutes for literature, film, performing arts, and other contemporary art in Bordeaux.

With 18,000 square meters (almost 194,000 square feet) of space, MÉCA does not lack for anything. BIG conceived the building as a single loop of cultural institutions and public space by extending the promenade with a ramp that leads into an “urban room.” As the concrete and glass facade looms overhead, visitors are invited to lounge on the steps or use the open area as a skateboarding paradise.

As hubs of this kind emerge in different parts of the world, the MECA establishes itself among them and cements Bordeaux's status as a cultural hub in which the works being done in MECA will spill out into the public so as to integrate itself into society.

“Not only does MÉCA spill its activities into the public realm and the urban room, but the public is also invited to walk around, through, above and below the new cultural gateway,” shares Ingels. “By inviting the arts into the city and the city into the arts, MÉCA will provide opportunities for new hybrids of cultural and social life beyond the specific definitions of its constituent parts.”

(Image credit: Laurian Ghinitoiu/BIG)

With the appearance of crystallized gems springing forth from the ground, these light art installations which project scenes from nature have lit up an abandoned Japanese bath house in Mifuneyama Rakuen Park on the island of Kyushu. These megaliths were created by teamLab.

“The bath house was made in modern times, but after just a short period, it was abandoned, becoming a space-time where time had stopped completely,” says teamLab. “And this group of megaliths is also a mass made up of compressed space-times where the flow of time varies. Here, various space-times intersect and overlap.”

From blooming and withering flowers to cascading waterfalls, the nature-inspired artwork visualizes fleeting moments in time. If a person visiting the exhibition stands still at the Flowers and People megaliths, the flowers grow more abundantly. However, as they move away, they start to fade and wither.

Check out more of the project on teamLab's website.

-via My Modern Met

(Image credit: teamLab)

As with reading any good book, you can learn a lot by traveling to different places and listening to people's stories and backgrounds, about the history of a place, and how it all integrates into one fabric. Perhaps, actually, one may learn more about a place by experiencing it.

In this piece, Deanna Altomara shares her experience studying abroad in Buenos Aires and how she waded through the streets and visited various places in the city especially the bookstores which gave Buenos Aires the title World Book Capital 2011 conferred by UNESCO.

By refusing to forget their loved ones and their heart-wrenching stories, Argentines fight for a better and fairer future for all. Today, Argentines are vocal about their political opinions and rights, regularly protesting for a wide variety of causes at the Plaza de Mayo.

Colorful bandanas symbolizing support for various causes (green for legal abortion, purple for women’s rights, and so on), are tied onto backpacks and sold at crowded intersections and prolific events like the Feria del Libro.

Provocative art, journalism, and political discourse can be found on every street corner. I am in awe of the bravery Argentines have to fight for what they believe in. I can only hope that I can emulate that bravery, to use storytelling to make the world a better place, little by little.

(Image credit: Herbert Brant/Wikimedia Commons)

Craig Silvey's 2009 novel Jasper Jones has been compared with the likes of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird and Rob Reiner's Stand By Me, as it deals with relatively heavy subject matters looking at it from the lens of a naive teenager.

More often than not, coming of age stories ooze angst and confusion which come from how the characters themselves try to navigate the tumultuous period of adolescence, slowly discovering the truths of the world.

What Jasper Jones does, as with many great coming of age stories, is that it allows audiences to introspect about serious topics as we pry into the lives of the characters but still keep a light tone owing to the fact that the main characters are still just teenagers.

“Being 13, 14 years old, you’re not an adult, but you’re also not a kid actually, and the world is starting to take on a different shape. We catch three, even four characters in that moment, which comes back to that Silvey quote: it’s about bubbles being burst, and people maturing, and how the stuff that happens in those formative years can stay with you, about trauma and about friendship.”

Silvey’s novel has often been placed alongside Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me, or Harper Lee’s Mockingbird, stories that invite the audience into the naïve gaze of youth, even as they might put together the pieces before our narrator does “Charlie is the guide for the audience, and there’s something about him that creates a safety for the audience; the whole book you’re reading through Charlie’s eyes and likewise through the stage version he’s regularly checking in on us, and reminding us of things we need to look at.

Jasper Jones will have its run at the Dunstan Playhouse from August 16-17.

(Image credit: Sia Duff)