Podcast: Download MYS151: In 1962, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sent Operation Northwoods to JFK as a daring, covert plan to stop a potential Soviet invasion. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss this now declassified plan, the shocking series of secret actions it proposed, and Kennedy’s response. Get all new episodes automatically and for free:Follow using… Continue reading Operation Northwoods (Cold War Mystery!)
Invasive Species Can Sometimes Help an Ecosystem
When animals go extinct, their functions in an ecosystem can be lost, oftentimes leading to the extinction of other species that depend on those functions. Can nonnative species, which are often regarded as invasive pests by conservationists, fill the roles left vacant by extinctions? This question is easy to ponder in the Hawaiian Islands, which… Continue reading Invasive Species Can Sometimes Help an Ecosystem
Do You Know How to Start a Fire Without Matches or a Lighter?
The ability to start a fire is absolutely crucial, whether you’re camping for fun or end up in a real-world survival situation. While many people may be relying on matches or a lighter to get their fire going, having some alternative methods on hand just increases your abilities and provides some fallback options. Years back,… Continue reading Do You Know How to Start a Fire Without Matches or a Lighter?
Your Health is a Disinformation Target
In early March 2021 there were a number of reports about Russian, Chinese and Iranian disinformation efforts all designed to cast doubt on the effectiveness of vaccines for the COVID virus. A base source of information appears to be the Alliance for Security Democracy (see: http://bit.ly/3s9zuGx, which is also a photo source. Their… Continue reading Your Health is a Disinformation Target
A Millennial in Paradise: Carlo Acutis
Carlo, Our Little Hero In each generation, heroes of the faith, whom the Church recognizes as saints, emerge. They have understood that holiness is not about imagining past holiness or dreaming about a better world; rather, it is living their present lives as disciples of Christ. Therefore, holiness takes place in the here and now.… Continue reading A Millennial in Paradise: Carlo Acutis
Melvin Capital Among Hedge Funds Losing $6 Billion On Latest Meme Squeeze
“Fool me once, shame on… shame on you. Fool me… you can’t get fooled again,” were the infamous words of former President Bush and we suspect that Steve Cohen protégé Gabe Plotkin is reflecting on those stoic words as he looks back at his fund’s performance in May. Plotkin’s Melvin Capital – infamously blown-up by… Continue reading Melvin Capital Among Hedge Funds Losing $6 Billion On Latest Meme Squeeze
Can A Broker Sell Your Position Without Permission?
Robinhood was at the center of the unprecedented and monumental Reddit trading mania that saw shares of GameStop (GME) and other companies, including headphone maker Koss (KOSS) and cinema operator AMC (AMC) soar to extreme levels as amateur traders piled into the stocks earlier this year. However, the popular trading app was accused of selling… Continue reading Can A Broker Sell Your Position Without Permission?
Baptizing Baby Yoda? Popes in Space? Sacraments in Space? Time Travel? Giants? (& More Weird Questions!)
Podcast: Download MYS152: It’s a fifth Friday so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin more weird questions from listeners, including whether the pope would be Bishop of Rome if humans left Earth; the practicalities of sacraments in space; could Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) be baptized?; what are the giants in the… Continue reading Baptizing Baby Yoda? Popes in Space? Sacraments in Space? Time Travel? Giants? (& More Weird Questions!)
Manipulating single atoms with an electron beam — Mostly Physics
Most of the data for the initial version of the manuscript was collected already in July, 2017, but sat for a while on my hard drive before writing them up. The first version of the results was posted on the physics preprint archive arXiv right before Christmas on December 23, 2017 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.08755v1). In that initial manuscript, most… Continue reading Manipulating single atoms with an electron beam — Mostly Physics
Frozen But Prepared: Texas Snowpocalypse AAR
We’re officially thawed out here in Texas after experiencing some of the worst ice, snow and low temperatures in the history of the state. Ordinarily, winter weather wouldn’t be such a big deal, but with such a large power demand and super low temperatures, the power grid was in danger of collapsing and much of… Continue reading Frozen But Prepared: Texas Snowpocalypse AAR