The Behemoth at the Center of Our Galaxy

“The Milky Way’s supermassive black hole reached record brightness this year: The behemoth at the center of the galaxy flared up in near-infrared wavelengths”

Why is it flaring up?  One possibility — just a hypothesis, mind you — is that it is anticipating a vastly greater offering of sacrificial victims of socialism as the Democratic Party turns leftward and as Elizabeth Warren surges in the polls.  Unfortunately, we don’t seem to have data for its level of brightness back in 1917 and in 1933 — years that, my hypothesis suggests, might also have shown anticipatory flare-ups.

See this closely related story:

“Elizabeth Warren, Cherokee from Outer Space: Conservative; liberal; white; Cherokee; Harvard prof; tribune of the people; possibly extraterrestrial”

***

“Ancient crystal growths in caves reveal seas rose 16 meters in a warmer world: Findings on the Spanish coast of Mallorca hint at how oceans could respond to climate change”

Wow.  Sixteen meters!  That’s roughly 52.5 feet!

I think that we are now, with this new finding, in a position to understand the deep concern, particularly among Democratic and other left-leaning politicians, about global warming and the melting polar ice caps, and the relative indifference to the threat among politicians in the Republican Party and on the right.  Consider, for example, this map of blue (Democratic) and red (Republican) counties in the 2016 American presidential election:

A rise of anything remotely resembling 52.5 feet in the world’s seas would inundate the most significant and densely populated pro-Democratic voting areas — places like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, and Manhattan.  Look even at Alaska!  And look at Hawaii!  In other words, global warming represents an existential threat to the native habitats of many of America’s most consistently Democratic voters.  Is it any wonder that Democratic politicians are terrified?

***

And now, in other science news:

“This fast radio burst shined a light on a galaxy’s mysterious gas halo: A lucky alignment let astronomers use a bright blast from one galaxy to probe gas in another”

Inquiring minds want to know:  Is an extragalactic legislature — or even an alien political convention — in session?  Probably not:  Findings indicate that the halo of gas in the galaxy being examined was “surprisingly thin and calm.”

“NASA’s new black hole visualizations showcase how gravity warps light: Images from computer simulations highlight the ‘photon ring’ and more”