This weekend, the yearly Geminid meteor shower is set to reach its peak, providing stargazers with an opportunity to witness what is often regarded as the most impressive and reliable shooting star event of the year.
Although the meteor shower has been active for over a week, it is anticipated to hit its peak activity on Saturday and Sunday nights. As reported by NASA.
Shooting stars can be observed in both the northern and southern hemispheres. However, the Geminid meteor shower tends to be brighter and more frequent in the northern hemisphere due to its trajectory in the night sky.
Under perfect conditions with clear skies and little light interference, skywatchers may be able to see as many as 120 Geminid meteors per hour, according to NASA.
The Geminid meteor shower is famed for its vibrant, colorful fireballs that blaze across the night sky.
For optimal viewing, venture outside between midnight and early morning local time, and gaze towards the eastern sky in the direction of the constellation Gemini.
When the moon rises, it will be just 26% illuminated, which means it won’t disrupt this year’s Geminid meteor shower experience.
Meteor showers occur when Earth travels through clouds of small rocks, dust, and debris, which ignite upon entering the planet’s atmosphere. While most meteor showers are linked to comet debris, the Geminid meteor shower is derived from debris left by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.
The Geminid meteor shower showcases striking colors ranging from yellow and red to even greenish hues, attributed to the chemical makeup of the asteroid debris.
In November 1980, at the age of 13, I journeyed alone to Farhill from East Kill Bride and arrived to find an empty dugout without a manager. It felt quite odd, and my shyness prevented me from reaching out to anyone while I was there; the next day, Bertie Auld resigned and moved to Hibs, as reported by Sunday Mail.
The news hit hard. Bertie was my first manager, and as a devoted supporter, I felt responsible for the team’s presence in the Premier League year after year. Now he was gone, and no one informed me.
I skipped the next match, but soon after, I noticed Peter Cormack in the dugout. No one had mentioned it to me. At 13, I was an avid reader of newspapers but lacked a radio—just a single ear headphone connected to it, not convenient for carrying around.
This memory resurfaced after a recent Thistle home game I watched on TV. In front of me, a young couple was intently focused on their smartphones, engaged with the match. Admittedly, the game was quite dull, yet they followed the action closely and commented on the referee’s decisions. “It’s definitely offside.” “That was a clear penalty.” “He should have received a red card.”
Meanwhile, the crowd around me buzzed as we collectively pondered: “What a bizarre situation.” Why pay to attend a game only to ignore the live action unfolding mere meters away?
Yet it made some sense. As the young couple focused on their screens, more necks craned forward, and soon everyone nearby was chiming in to affirm the referee’s calls. Many of us who lament the changes in football secretly yearn for a return to the 1970s. Thank you. Yes, it did prompt a question.
For that couple, utilizing technology during the match was completely normal. This reflects how we have been conditioned to perceive sports. VAR is now standard for viewers of top leagues, whether we like it or not. Social media informs fans about clubs and their products. The differences between my 13-year-old self and kids today are vast.
Our access to football has transformed dramatically. This isn’t about whether “it was better back then.” Such discussions are tedious. I’m not keen on debating how technology has altered the game. Rather, I’m intrigued by how it has changed us. How have our brains adapted? How has our capacity for patience diminished? Our perception of football has evolved.
Tottenham fans have seen their team play Juventus in the Champions League via phone screens. Photo: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
In her recent book, “Extinction of Experience,” Christine Rosen posits that technology has personalized our life experiences to the point where we no longer tolerate waiting, unpleasant encounters, or situations that don’t align with our expectations.
As football fans, we anticipate news immediately. We expect access to games without hassle, including digital tickets. However, Rosen highlights that these conveniences come with hidden costs. As we become less accustomed to patience, our understanding of its importance dwindles, leading to frustration and anxiety.
Transportation, phones, appliances—like all new technologies that have enriched our everyday lives, including the Internet and, notably, smartphones—transform our relationship with time. In the past, attending away games required considerable patience. Long journeys were a test of endurance. Now, improved roads, trains, and buses make it easier for fans to travel across the nation to venues like Ibrox and Parkhead rather than supporting local teams. It’s now quicker and better in many ways.
Back in the day, when travel was rare and arduous, teams like East Fife, Cowdenbeath, and Queen of the South attracted crowds of over 20,000. With travel being challenging, it was easy to support local clubs—there were no alternatives.
However, when we are denied immediate access to what we desire, we often respond with frustration and seek distractions. Our impulsive reactions during football matches reveal that we frequently overlook the value of perseverance. This impatience extends to transfer windows: “January 3, still no signings? Typical.”
Following a loss, even during matches, we might see discussions regarding the manager’s future pop up on social media. “How is he still in charge?” Such reactions reflect poorly on us and neither solve the issue nor enhance the situation. Wanting someone to lose their job is an anomaly in a sport often labeled as a working-class game.
Like many aspects of our lives, we resist waiting for what we want. Nowadays, if you have the money, you can buy your way out of any queue. Why should football be any different? We’ve been conditioned to seek immediate gratification.
I no longer find the changing football experience bothersome. Discussing it feels fruitless. What truly matters is what we might be losing in the process.
The convenience of purchasing tickets via apps is undeniably delightful. I hold season tickets on my mobile, allowing me to buy last-minute tickets effortlessly. However, in this digital age, I miss the excitement of the turnstiles, the familiar banter, and the social interactions that kickstart the matchday experience. Those daily exchanges remind us of our humanity—the need to connect and inquire about one another’s day. But now, many of those interactions feel unnecessary, which is a bit disheartening.
For many, football serves as a sanctuary where they feel part of something larger. It offers comfort, camaraderie, and hope. While technology facilitates ticket purchases and program access, it risks undermining our shared human experience.
Our smartphones provide real-time updates from various matches, creating an immediacy that can feel surreal. Tweets about goals at Cappielow spread faster than moments unfold. Young couples verifying offside calls from their devices may confuse older fans like me, but they often provide information that isn’t readily available. What’s inherently wrong with that? I sometimes forget that I’m at the match, immersed in social media clips of “young teams” reveling in last season’s playoffs. My own enjoyment seems to fade into the background.
Stamford Bridge fans engaged with their mobile devices. Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
We often grow complacent with this mediated version of “being there” while not actually experiencing it. Engaging with distractions in the crowd often reflects our overexposure to social media. Football may involve long stretches of monotony, and our minds sometimes struggle to cope with that. Anxiety arises when we gravitate towards mediated experiences rather than fully embracing the present.
I previously mentioned in Nutmeg that 90% of all live sports events tend to fade from memory. It’s those remaining 10% that we come back to, reminiscing and cherishing. Perhaps boredom is a necessary component of the experience. Why should it be avoided? Football is a game that demands patience. We must concentrate on tactics and await the right moment. Only then can we appreciate the unforgettable, often breathtaking experiences that make it all worthwhile.
As the season begins, we hope for the best but remain open to various outcomes, allowing things to unfold naturally. A poor start may improve by October; thus, I’m willing to be patient. Or perhaps the season will see a slow burn, and we learn that much remains beyond our control.
Even if we face defeat and feel disheartened, we rally ourselves and anticipate the next match. The events of last Saturday will soon blend into history. In that spirit, we allow managers to make mistakes, grant players time to rediscover their form, and accept it all as part of a long season—a natural facet of the process.
We must embrace technology, though it doesn’t mean we should forgo our options. A little extra effort, whether it’s engaging more with our surroundings, initiating conversations, or fostering connections, can be rewarding. Only then can we uncover something extraordinary and unforgettable. That’s when we truly become real fans.
Recent studies indicate that a dog’s response to your preferred TV show can reveal much about your personality.
In a recent Nature study, researchers found that enthusiastic dogs tend to interpret what they see on TV as reality, whereas anxious dogs are more inclined to react to non-animal elements, like humans and vehicles.
According to Lane Montgomery, a graduate student from Auburn University who spearheaded the research, there was a single consensus among all dogs regarding one topic.
“Overall, dogs generally seem to enjoy television, particularly when it features other dogs and animals,” Montgomery said to BBC Science Focus.
However, a note of caution before curating dog video playlists for your beloved pet: nearly half of the 453 dogs analyzed reacted every time their on-screen counterparts barked or howled.
Interestingly, breed and gender did not appear to influence their reactions, with older dogs exhibiting similar caution to younger puppies.
Dogs have been enjoying television alongside humans for nearly a century. Today, there are even specialized channels and programs designed to enhance dogs’ lives while their owners are engaged elsewhere.
Despite this, there has been little scientific inquiry into how dogs respond to visual stimuli.
To fill this gap, Montgomery encouraged dog owners to complete a survey that documented their pets’ responses to various dogs, animals, humans, inanimate objects, and environmental effects appearing on TV.
Montgomery posits that more impulsive dogs are likely to chase objects appearing on the TV screen or look behind the TV to track their movement, indicating they perceive the visuals as real.
Research indicates that dogs engage with TV for an average of 14 minutes – Credits: Getty Images/Manabougaswara
Conversely, skittish dogs were more prone to react when they saw people on TV or heard doorbells.
This research focuses solely on interactions with the most common individuals, rather than assessing whether these interactions are positive or negative.
Nevertheless, the insights gathered could aid owners in targeting training to eliminate undesirable behaviors and better identify which shows might be stressing their pets.
“The primary aim of this study was to enhance our understanding of how dogs react to various TV programs, thereby increasing the effectiveness of television as a tool for dog enrichment,” Montgomery stated. “Understanding which types of shows captivate dogs can help dog TV programs improve their content according to what dogs are likely to enjoy.”
About our experts
Lane Montgomery is a doctoral candidate in the Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences Program at Auburn University, USA. Her research concentrates on canine behavior and cognition to enhance the welfare of companion dogs and the efficiency of working dogs.
This year, we have been treated to various stunning celestial events by the moon, and now the grand finale is approaching with the last supermoon of 2024 known as the Beaver Moon.
But what exactly is a supermoon? How can you witness its beauty at its peak? And why is it called the Beaver Moon? Whether you plan to observe it from your backyard or venture to a remote location for clearer skies, here is everything you need to know to make the most of this year’s final significant lunar event.
When will the Beaver Moon be visible in 2024?
The UK, US, and the rest of the world will witness the full Beaver Supermoon on November 15, 2024. Following this date, the moon will appear full for several consecutive nights.
“A full moon occurs when the moon is directly opposite the sun in the sky at a precise moment down to the second,” explains Dr. Darren Baskill, an astronomer and astrophotographer from the University of Sussex.
“To the naked eye, the moon appears full or nearly full for two to three days from the exact moment of the full moon.”
In the UK, the moon will rise around 3:30 pm local time. In Los Angeles, it will rise at 3:30 PM local time, and in New York, it will be approximately 4:29 PM ET.
Fun fact: The moon is slowly moving away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm every year. – Photo credit: Getty
“For the most spectacular views, try capturing photographs just after sunset or just before sunrise. This is when the moon appears largest and most dramatic against the horizon,” said Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astronomical particle physics and cosmology from King’s College, London.
Why is it called the Beaver Moon?
The supermoon in November is named after the beaver as beavers are often observed during this period.
Leading up to winter, beavers prepare for the cold months and build food storage in case their ponds freeze over.
What causes a supermoon?
During a supermoon, the moon’s surface appears 7 percent larger (and 15 percent brighter) in the sky compared to an average full moon. This is because the moon is closer to Earth than usual (approximately 363,700 km or 226,000 miles away).
Due to the moon’s elliptical orbit around Earth, there is a point where the moon naturally approaches Earth (perigee). Conversely, there is a point (apogee) where the moon moves away from us. When a full moon coincides with perigee, a supermoon occurs. The timing of the full moon allows for multiple supermoons in a row.
This discrepancy in cycles allows for repeated occurrences of supermoons. The moon’s elliptical orbit gradually changes alignments, resulting in multiple supermoons in succession.
“Gravitational forces from Earth, the sun, and other planets influence the moon’s orbit, leading to these fluctuations and the impressive phenomenon of supermoons,” explained Balaji.
Specifically, a supermoon requires the moon to complete a lunar cycle and be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is closest to Earth, appearing larger and brighter in the sky. In contrast, a micromoon occurs when the moon is at its furthest away, making it appear smaller and darker. – Photo credit: Getty
Where is the best place to see the Beaver Supermoon?
To get the best views, escape the city lights and head to areas with minimal light pollution. For a truly remarkable experience, visit the coast and observe how the supermoon affects tides.
“When the moon is at its closest point to Earth (perigee) and is full, the gravitational pull on Earth’s oceans is stronger,” Balaji noted.
“Expect to witness more significant tidal fluctuations, resulting in higher high tides and lower low tides than usual.”
Data from a study by Gwynyay Maske and colleagues at University College Dublin in Ireland shows that spectator sports are good for kids – good for them.
The data covers major American football, association football (soccer), and rugby union tournaments in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
The researchers found that, “with a few exceptions,” these popularity contests “continue to increase in number of births and/or fertility 9 (±1) months after notable team wins and/or tournaments.” “It was associated with an increase in the ratio.” .
Sporting events at this level seem to work that way for the winners, but not for the losers, says a study published in the journal Peer J. No joke, the downsides are significant. “Unexpected losses by Premier Soccer League teams were associated with fewer births nine months later.”
celebratory sex
The study of sports viewing begins with the following fascinating sentence: “Major sports tournaments may be associated with increased birth rates nine months later, possibly due to celebratory sex.”
The quartet candidly write about their observations:[Some people] For birthdays, holidays, graduations, proms, new car “run-in” sessions, we planned days and weeks in advance to have “celebratory” sex in a slow, long park… Parking Sex during men and women was primarily a positive sexual and romantic experience for both parties. “
The abstract climax of this study ends with the simple idea that “future research on sex in parked cars in urban settings is recommended.”
Timeliness of time
The eternal question, “What is time?'' staggered onto the stage. The first was the Finnish report on Russia's time zone, and the second was the varied actions of the Kazakh state.
Russia has 11 time zones. Piattyeva and Vasileva tell us that “the existence of multiple time zones indicates the lack of a unified spatiotemporal nature.” And they express ideas that no one has ever been able to articulate clearly. “Bureaucratically, the desire for simultaneity and synchronicity takes the form of meticulously ordering sequences of actions through normative documents.” They argue that there is a hinge to everything. is revealed. “In our analysis, we repeatedly returned to the most difficult question: What is time?”
On its own, the Kazakh government added clarification, surprise, and perhaps confusion to the general timeliness. On March 1, Kazakhstan changed its two time zones to a single time zone nationwide.
period of central asia reported two weeks before the big day that “not all citizens are happy about this, and some claim it will affect their health.” times In an interview with Sultan Turekhanov of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, he warned: In particular, it is a change in the temporal structure parameters of human biological rhythms. ”
The feedback is, above all, a tribute to the audacity of those who dare to play with the temporal structural parameters of the biological rhythms of human tissues.
unread, non-existent
How many studies are there that no one reads…and eventually disappear? And how many studies disappear that no one reads even before they disappear? Both? Rough answer to the question – it's not exactly the same question. – Now it exists.
The first question was answered almost 20 years ago when Lockman I. Mejo of Indiana University Bloomington published a paper (which has not disappeared) called “.The rise of citation analysis”.
Meho writes: “It is a solemn fact that approximately 90% of papers published in academic journals are not cited at all. In fact, 50% of his papers are never read by anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and journal editors. not.”
Martin Paul Eve from Birkbeck, University of London got the second question right. His new research (also not extinct yet) is called “.Poor preservation of digital academic journals: A study of 7 million articles”. The study “evaluated” 7,438,037 academic citations with unique identification codes called DOIs. Now, in the research, we attempted to evaluate. According to Eve's report, 2,056,492 (27.64%) of them appear to be missing.
Eve also said that 32.9 percent of organizations responsible for digitally preserving documents “do not appear to be doing adequate digital preservation.”
Feedback: old ideals: The study should raise more questions than answers.
Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com.
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Patrick, I don’t pretend to understand the esoteric machinations behind the TikTok algorithm, but these days you keep giving me video after video of people sailing around the world on nine-month cruises. They’re all on the same cruise, and behind each blank stare is the same quiet desperation. what’s happening?
Michael, what’s happening now is essentially a social experiment being broadcast in real time, and some of us just can’t get enough of it.
Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise is a nine-month cruise on a ship called Serenade of the Seas that aims to visit more than 60 countries on all seven continents and is touted as the world’s longest cruise. I don’t know the official number of passengers, but 1 TikToker reports that there are approximately 1,000 people. Most of them are regular cruise types, but some of them have started documenting on TikTok. It basically just describes the day’s action and shows viewers the cabins, meals, and other passengers. Even though it sounds like the worst reality show premise, you’ve heard it before, it became all the rage.
Two months have passed and we now have a boat full of influencers stuck on the high seas. This place is famous for the fact that people love to go crazy and get hooked on hunting huge and sexy whales. Nothing has actually happened yet, butIt’s a perfect recipe for disaster. Terrible maritime affairs guaranteed.
How did this start? And who are the main characters?
Most of the content is daily style videos and confessionals, similar to the TikToks created by @sisters.swan color mode … and posts to his 7,000 followers.
Being on a ship for nine months sounds like an old-fashioned punishment. But people are actually paying for this, right?
Yes, it’s not cheap. You can join part of the tour or stay for the entire tour. The cheapest option for 9 months starts at $59,999 per person and the highest costs him $117,999. A couple who call themselves “Cruise Mom and Dad”I started an account @ while on board.spend our children’s money. They gained nearly 90,000 followers.
…
But what’s interesting is how… junky it looks. Many university dormitories have common rooms. In fact, after the cruise started blowing up, TikTok influencer Marc Sebastian begged to be put on the ship and ended up getting sponsored by a publisher to go on an 18-night cruise. What’s his review? “I don’t like it here.”
he captioned video I went around my room writing the following: Are you okay. But for 9 months? You can’t do that, baby. ”
He also claimed that the showers were small and unreliable, that trips to see penguins were often canceled and that music was constantly blaring everywhere. nightmare.
…
Once again, what’s on board now is a shady mix of old, wealthy cruisers, digital nomads, and influencers, almost exactly like the plot of Triangle of Sorrow. Has there been any real drama so far?
No, but everyone is preparing for it. It’s like we’re in the opening scene of a disaster movie right now. There, everyone is still cheerful and happy, we meet all the characters, and scientists continue to discover strange things that no one has noticed.
But we have a lot of gossip and it can lead to real drama – 1 account They claimed the passengers were infected with the coronavirus and were actually hiding it, which could lead to a new Ruby Princess-type plague ship.
…
Another recent video Despite sharing rumors that the cruise may end much earlier than expected due to conflicts in the Middle East, a Royal Caribbean representative confirmed that they plan to continue the trip as scheduled.
Of course, even if nothing major happens, that doesn’t mean the entire ecosystem of gossip, comments, and criticism from stranded TikTok users has stopped. The passengers become characters in a soap opera, and the viewers write the story.
…
It feels like being in the middle of a season of Real Housewives when nothing is happening and everyone is talking in sharp whispers as if something is happening. Why are we still investing so much?
I think it’s a combination of factors. There’s something truly intoxicating about watching rich people eat it while being trapped on a big ship – think “Below Deck” and “Triangle of Sorrow” – and the big ship itself, which has been ravaged by COVID-19. Virus cruises and stranded ships took center stage.
On top of that, people are fed up with the way reality shows are planned and produced these days, and there could be some real real chaos on this trip. It’s like putting a box full of bats, spiders, eggs, and fireworks and shaking it up. Something will happen. And we will watch.
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