{"id":78591,"date":"2019-09-28T18:31:06","date_gmt":"2019-09-29T00:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=78591"},"modified":"2019-10-05T00:47:13","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T06:47:13","slug":"the-behemoth-at-the-center-of-our-galaxy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2019\/09\/the-behemoth-at-the-center-of-our-galaxy.html","title":{"rendered":"The Behemoth at the Center of Our Galaxy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Underground<\/a>
When the aliens come, as inevitably they will, it\u2019s people in facilities like this who will make the last, hopeless, stand of humanity. But, unless Will Smith shows up, they\u2019ll fail in the end.
(Wikimedia Commons public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Milky Way\u2019s supermassive black hole reached record brightness this year:\u00a0The behemoth at the center of the galaxy flared up in near-infrared wavelengths\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why is it flaring up? \u00a0One possibility \u2014 just a hypothesis, mind you \u2014 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. \u00a0Unfortunately, we don\u2019t seem to have data for its level of brightness back in 1917 and in 1933 \u2014 years that, my hypothesis suggests, might also have shown anticipatory flare-ups.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

See this closely related story:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cElizabeth Warren, Cherokee from Outer Space: Conservative; liberal; white; Cherokee; Harvard prof; tribune of the people; possibly extraterrestrial\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAncient crystal growths in caves reveal seas rose 16 meters in a warmer world:\u00a0Findings on the Spanish coast of Mallorca hint at how oceans could respond to climate change\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wow. \u00a0Sixteen meters! \u00a0That\u2019s roughly 52.5 feet<\/em>!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Consider, for example, this map of blue (Democratic) and red (Republican) counties in the 2016 American presidential election:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Ryne<\/a>
Precinct voting in the 2016 presidential election, with Democratic precincts in blue and Republican precincts in red.
(Ryne Rhola, Decision Desk HQ)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

A rise of anything remotely resembling 52.5 feet in the world\u2019s seas would inundate the most significant and densely populated pro-Democratic voting areas \u2014 places like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Martha\u2019s Vineyard, and Manhattan. \u00a0Look even at Alaska! \u00a0And look at Hawaii! \u00a0In other words, global warming represents an existential threat to the native habitats of many of America\u2019s most consistently Democratic voters. \u00a0Is it any wonder that Democratic politicians are terrified?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And now, in other science news:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis fast radio burst shined a light on a galaxy\u2019s mysterious gas halo:\u00a0A lucky alignment let astronomers use a bright blast from one galaxy to probe gas in another\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Inquiring minds want to know: \u00a0Is an extragalactic legislature \u2014 or even an alien political convention \u2014 in session? \u00a0Probably not: \u00a0Findings indicate that the halo of gas in the galaxy being examined was \u201csurprisingly thin and calm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNASA\u2019s new black hole visualizations showcase how gravity warps light:\u00a0Images from computer simulations highlight the \u2018photon ring\u2019 and more\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cThe Milky Way\u2019s supermassive black hole reached record brightness this year:\u00a0The behemoth at the center of the galaxy flared up in near-infrared wavelengths\u201d \u00a0 Why is it flaring up? \u00a0One possibility \u2014 just a hypothesis, mind you \u2014 is that it is anticipating a vastly greater offering of sacrificial victims of socialism as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5793,2379,5799,5802,1760,521,5796],"class_list":["post-78591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-black-hole","tag-democrats","tag-elizabeth-warren","tag-extraterrestrial","tag-galaxy","tag-global-warming","tag-milky-way"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Behemoth at the Center of Our Galaxy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    "The Milky Way\u2019s 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