Library of America publishes Herman Melville: Complete Poems
The Library of America edition of Herman Melville: Complete Poems arrived on my porch last month. Its texts are those of the three related Northwestern-Newberry Edition volumes. I was one of four co-editors of “Billy Budd, Sailor“ and Other Uncompleted Writings, the last and final volume to be published of the fifteen-volume Northwestern-Newberry edition of The Writings of Herman Melville. It was an honor to be invited by the Library of America volume editor, Hershel Parker, and Thomas Tanselle to write the “Note on the Texts,” a bibliographical essay included in each Library of America volume that describes the editorial procedures used to establish accurate texts. The LOA volume editor, Hershel Parker, wrote new, expansive explanatory notes for each of the poems, as well as a detailed up-to-date chronology based on his research for his two-volume biography of Herman Melville. This LOA volume is one that will very likely be bought, read, and consulted for many years to come. It is a happy coincidence that it is being published in the month and year of Melville’s 200th birthday, August 1, 1819.
BILLY BUDD, SAILOR AND OTHER UNCOMPLETED WRITINGS – Publication of the Final Volume of the Northwestern-Newberry Series: The Writings of Herman Melville
As of today, October 29, the paperback edition of “Billy Budd, Sailor“ and Other Uncompleted Writings is available on Amazon as well as the Northwestern University Press website. The hardcover is still in production, but should be available by the end of November. Click here for the NUP catalog page, or here for the book on Amazon.
It has taken a very long time (more than 45 years) to process the 1,000 or so manuscript leaves for publication in the final volume of the fifteen-volume Northwestern-Newberry Writings of Herman Melville series. It was just over 35 years ago that I sat daily as a graduate student from June 8 through August 6, 1982, Monday through Saturday, at the Houghton Library at Harvard transcribing the 335 leaves of the Parthenope (formerly “Burgundy Club”) poems and prose pieces contained in fifteen folders (including the folder containing “Pausilippo” removed by Melville for publication in Timoleon). From July 30 to August 2, 1982, I transcribed what I eventually came to realize was the theretofore unknown and untranscribed, “House of the Tragic Poet.” At the time, I thought surely someone had transcribed this piece previously. But as I worked in the following years on my dissertation with my advisor, Harrison Hayford, we finally determined that “House of the Tragic” poet was in fact a new piece. In the summers of 2013 and 2015, to prepare the reading and transcription texts for the now published final volume, I did a fresh literal transcription of these same manuscripts, as well as new transcriptions of the manuscripts of “Rammon,” “Story of Daniel Orme,” “Under the Rose,” and around 36 uncollected poems unpublished at the time of Melville’s death on September 28, 1891.
Many funding issues delayed the work needed to complete the final volume of the Northwestern-Newberry Writings of Herman Melville series. Sadly, the series General Editor, Harrison Hayford — who began the Northwestern-Newberry publishing project in 1965 — passed away in 2001. But happily by 2010 Northwestern University Press could commit the funds needed to print the final volume, and the editors of the final volume — Hershel Parker, Thomas Tanselle, Alma A. MacDougall, and I — found time in our personal schedules, over a five-year period beginning in 2012, to bring to a successful conclusion the project of publishing the final volume.
Completion of the volume was the result of a sustained collaboration among the editors. Hershel Parker, General Editor, wrote the “Historical Note,” coordinated the editorial process, and negotiated the restart of the project with Northwestern University Press. G. Thomas Tanselle, Bibliographical Editor, who has contributed to each of the NN volumes, was again tireless in the effort he devoted to this final volume. He wrote the “General Note on the Text, produced all of the editorial appendices for BILLY BUDD and WEEDS AND WILDINGS, proofed and checked for accuracy the components of all the other the editorial appendices (discussion notes, lists of emendations, all transcriptions, notes on individual pieces, related documents), and corrected and revised the heretofore standard reading and transcription texts of BILLY BUDD (Harrison Hayford and Merton M. Sealts, Jr., Univ. of Chicago, 1962) and WEEDS AND WILDINGS (Robert C. Ryan, dissertation, 1967). Alma A. MacDougall has acted as the supervising editor for all the NN volumes published since 1982 [ISRAEL POTTER (1982), THE CONFIDENCE-MAN (1984), THE PIAZZA TALES (1987), MOBY-DICK (1988), JOURNALS (1989), CLAREL (1991), CORRESPONDENCE (1991), and PUBLISHED POEMS (2009)]. For this final volume, Alma served as Executive Editor and reviewed for accuracy all reading and transcription texts, historical notes, discussion notes, emendation lists, illustrations, created the index, and prepared the final printer’s copy for the press.
Hershel Parker, who succeeded Harrison Hayford as the series General Editor, suggested that we might think of the publication of the final volume as a birthday present for Harry Hayford on what would have been, on November 1st, his 101st birthday. Happy Birthday, Harry!
Harrison Hayford
Kant Confessed His Suspicions about the Limitations of His System, but Persisted Anyway
Immanuel Kant
It is a mark of courage or at least bold if not heroic confidence that Kant forged ahead with his attempt to describe the mechanisms and functions of human cognition, even though he suspected that some of the descriptive ideas he invented would probably never be scientifically verified.
In a section of the Critique of Pure Reason, titled “The Schematism of the Pure Concepts of the Understanding” (chapter 1 of book 2 of the “Transcendental Analytic”) he wrote:
This schematism of our understanding, in its application to appearances and their mere form, is an art concealed in the depths of the human soul, whose real modes of activity nature is hardly likely ever to allow us to discover, and to have open to our gaze.
Preceding this pessimistic observation, Kant had been explaining his hypothesized “schema” as rules for how to conjoin or link an a priori concept that is not dependent on sensual experience with an object of perception obtained through the senses. He uses several examples to illustrate. With the example of a triangle he asserts that associating the concept of triangle with an empirically apprehend image of a triangle is effected by means of set of innate rules or instructions that he calls a schema. A “schematism” according to Kant is an application of a set of rules whereby a pure, a priori concept of understanding such as space, time, triangle, or number is correlated with an empirically constituted object or idea.
But in the interjected “aside” to the reader quoted above, Kant expresses his suspicion that “nature is hardly likely ever to allow us to discover” the “real modes of activity” that constitute the functioning of those schema, or rules for linking the inner, mental world of pure concepts with sensibly perceived objects or empirically derived ideas.
Kant may have been trying with his schema — sets of rules for linking a priori concepts with sensually perceived objects — to (among other things) heal the body/mind split of Descartes. If Kant was right about “nature” being likely to never allow us to “gaze” upon schema, then neuroscientists who today address the hard problem of consciousness by mapping the areas of the brain that correlate with subjectively reported states of consciousness (qualia), observed behavior, or visible correlates of autonomic nerve activity, these neuroscientists may then, like Kant, worry that they too will likely never succeed in actually “gazing” on the mechanisms (schema, rules) that link inner consciousness experience with the exterior world of things.
More than 230 years following the publication of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, many philosophers and cognitive scientists working with or following the ideas of philosophers like Daniel Dennett, prefer not to invent and use terms or ideas like Kant’s “schema” — the hypothesized (invisible, postulated, unverifiable) rules for how we link or associate inner concepts with perceived objects. They avoid and argue against using scientifically unverifiable ideas or hypotheses. They, like Dennett, will for the sake of argument deign to take up for discussion ideas that are not susceptible to empirical proof (cf. the ether and phlogiston hypotheses), but then, after discussing and exposing their vacuousness and unusability, summarily drop them, and urge others to do the same.
Daniel Dennett
Knowing what terms or ideas to avoid using in attempting scientifically to solve the riddle and mystery of consciousness is important. Knowing what not to do or think is progress. But the hard problem of consciousness (what is like to be something; qualia; John Searle’s Chinese room; Mary the color-blind super scientist) is still unsolved. Notwithstanding his occasional use of non-verifiable ideas like “schema” and “schematism,” Kant’s attempts in the Critique to heal the mind-body split deduced by René Descarte in his Meditations, argue against the empirical skepticism expressed by David Hume in his Treatise and Enquiry, and correct or balance the radical empiricism of John Locke’s Essay surely contain many useable ideas that can be “operationalized” by neuroscientists, cognitive researchers, and philosophers of consciousness in their attempt to solve, understand, and explain the “hard problem” of consciousness.
Robert Paul Wolff
A book published many years ago by Robert Paul Wolff, Kant’s Theory of Mental Activity: A Commentary on the Transcendental Analytic of the Critique of Pure Reason (Harvard University Press, 1963; Kindle [Society for Philosophy and Culture, 2013]) is the best commentary I have yet read on Kant’s Critique. Wolff has also recorded and published on YouTube a very helpful nine-part lecture series on the Critique.
Politics, Culture, Philosophy
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A Guest Blog By Marlene Winell, Ph.D. On January 20, America’s religiosity was on full display. In fact, the religious parts of the U.S. Inauguration were excessive even by inauguration standards, which always includes an invocation... The post It’s Not Just Personal: The Collective Trauma of Religion appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
By Heather Cox Richardson The following is via Heather Cox Richardson’s *essential* newsletter, Letters from an American. If you don’t already receive this in your inbox everyday, I urge you to subscribe. –Frank The crisis... The post via Letters from an American appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
By Howie Klein Read at Down With Tyranny Trump never liked Pence and even tried to rescind his decision to invite him onto the ticket in 2016. But Pence was supposed to be Trump’s bridge... The post via Down With Tyranny: Evangelicals Are The Rotten Toxic Core Of Trump’s Political-Fiscal Aspirations appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
If you’ve followed anything I’ve done, especially over the last five years, you know that I was part of the early “Male-Chauvinist, Religious-White-Right, Family Values” movement in the 70s and 80s, which led us down... The post For Once: Real Family Values! appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
By S.V. Date Read at HuffPost WASHINGTON ― They raised the scaffolding up the side of the Capitol, tore down the flag of the United States and, to cheers from their fellow rioters below, hoisted... The post via HuffPost: Out With Reagan, Buckley And Kemp; In With Trump, QAnon And Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
By Stephen D. Foster Jr. Pat Robertson is openly calling for replacing the Constitution with the Bible as the law of the land. In the Constitution, you will not find any reference to the Bible... The post via Church and State: Pat Robertson Calls For Establishing Biblical Law As The Law Of The Land appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
Opinion by Editorial Board Read at Washington Post ROCHESTER, N.Y., police became the object of national opprobrium last year after videos surfaced showing the brutal treatment of a Black man who had been suffering from a psychotic episode.... The post via Washington Post: Opinion: How can police pepper-spray a harmless child? The answer is distressingly clear. appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Dan and Andrew of the Bible Buds Podcast and I had such a great time! We talked about chopping enough wood for a New England Winter, growing... The post “Survival of the Friendliest” with the Bible Buds appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
By Eric Tichenor There is one sentence from the ancient Hebrew Tanakh, within the Torah section (teachings, law), which perfectly illuminates the motivations of the seditionists who have created our current, modern-day political crisis. And... The post Name All The Names. appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
By Thomas B. Edsall Read at New York Times It’s impossible to understand the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol without addressing the movement that has come to be known as Christian nationalism. Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L.... The post via New York Times: ‘The Capitol Insurrection Was as Christian Nationalist as It Gets.’ appeared first on Frank Schaeffer - Official Blog. [...]
After having been unjustly convicted of the bogus charges brought against him in that most infamous and influential of trials, Socrates was asked to propose a penalty for himself. Defying everyone's expectations (exile, paying a fine, delivering a public apology, etc.), Socrates claimed he should be rewarded with free room and board at the Prytaneum. This response upset the Athenians so much that an even greater number than those who had originally found him guilty decided the proper sentence should now be death.In the Crito, and against all sorts of arguments—moral, prudential, political, philosophical—urging him to escape this unjust punishment,… [...]
Ever since I first watched Memento and its fascinating exploration of the philosophical question of personal identity as constituted by memory through time, film director Christopher Nolan has been on my radar. And, Insomnia aside, he has consistently managed to set the bar higher and higher to the point where he stands on a category of cinematographic and philosophical genius all by himself.In addition of being a master of character development, non-linear storytelling and building hair-raising suspense—not to say anything about the pure aesthetic beauty of his films—Nolan is a director of big ideas. There's virtually no film in which he… [...]
The philosophical problem of evil—the question of how the existence of unnecessary suffering is possible in a world created and sustained by an all-powerful, all-knowing and benevolent deity—has vexed theologians and philosophers for millennia.Apologists have attempted to vindicate God's goodness in various versions of what is known as theodicy. One of the most famous was articulated by the Enlightenment polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Given that he thought the existence of contingent beings requires an explanation that is itself not contingent, Leibniz deployed a really clever argument to prove the metaphysical necessity of the existence of God. Since God was for… [...]
Life is hard enough as it is. Existence, in many ways, is suffering. Obviously, some have it much worse than others, and that matters, but at some point in our lives we all experience pain, disease, loss, betrayal. We struggle with existential angst, with the fear of meaninglessness, with questions of character, with the impending coming of oblivion. We struggle to pay rent, to put food on the table, and to have enough energy at the end of the day to make a positive difference in the world.And we don't all find love. Few things make the loneliness of existence… [...]
If you are a geek, you are likely to get excited over things others might find boring, laughable, lame, etc. You still like what you like, but you also know when to keep that to yourself.But sometimes you stumble upon something so incredibly brilliant that, no matter what else may be going on in your life, you just have to let your inner geek go nuts. And the following parody of 'Despacito' is just such an instance... [...]
James Baldwin, the great essayist, poet, civil rights activist, writer and orator, would have turned 93 this week. In order to commemorate the importance of his memory and legacy, we are showcasing today the very famous Cambridge debate in which—while surrounded by an overwhelmingly white audience—he courageously and adeptly defended the proposition that “The American Dream is at the expense of the American negro” against the influential conservative writer William F. Buckley, Jr.Prior to this debate, Buckley had made his reputation as a leading American conservative, at least partly, through his writings opposing the civil rights movement and desegregation, and by… [...]
Few figures have been more important and influential in the history of civilization than the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. And it's not simply that he was a philosopher either. Despite the importance of the intellectual contributions made by his predecessors, and despite the vast differences between them (just think Thales, Anaximander, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Heraclitus, Democritus, etc.), virtually all philosophers who preceded him were ultimately consigned to the category of Pre-Socratics.So what exactly was so special about Socrates that it would be he, and not any of his forerunners, who would be generally recognized to be the first master of philosophy?… [...]
Anyone who's ever contemplated Raphael's celebrated painting The School of Athens knows that the painting centers, quite literally, around Plato and Aristotle (the former pointing up toward his transcendent Realm of the Forms, while the latter attempts to ground his understanding of reality on a much more naturalistic conception). A quick glance also reveals a few other obvious personalities: Socrates, Diogenes the Cynic, Pythagoras, and Euclid (or perhaps Archimedes?). But if you look even closer, you can see that this painting is also paying homage to the Presocratics, those thinkers who dared to imagine the cosmos might be intelligible to… [...]
As his presidency sadly comes to an end, President Obama delivered last night what is sure to become one of the most powerful and memorable speeches in his already admirable history of powerful and memorable speeches.In a time when democracy, justice, freedom, equality and human rights have come under threat in America—as a right-wing administration inspired by unabashed hatred, divisiveness, racism, xenophobia and greed prepares to take office—President Obama's message is a sober and thoughtful reminder that this experiment in self-governing is not a foregone conclusion but a process that requires permanent work, vigilance and cooperation.Thank you for being an… [...]
Art critic John Berger's recent death has left a huge void in the world of art appreciation. While his career prompted numerous controversies and instances of outrage and public condemnation, Berger's attacks on what sometimes amounts to the condescending and elitist attitude of his own profession helped popularize the appreciation of art. His 1972 BBC documentary series Ways of Seeing, as well as its subsequent eponymous book, helped bring the world of thoughtful art appreciation to an entire generation of people who may have otherwise never gotten interested in the fine arts. Unlike conventional forms of art criticism and appreciation—which tend… [...]
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Separation is the true root of the alarming rise in anti-Asian violence today, writes Korean American Zen priest Cristina Moon. The post Anti-Asian Violence Is an Attack on Us All appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s deepest vow is to be a person who doesn’t cause suffering and walks in peace. It’s what we all really want. The post Living My Vow appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
Dzogchen master Tsoknyi Rinpoche shares a meditation to encourage clarity of mind. The post Recognizing Clarity: A Dzogchen Meditation appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
When you recognize the true nature of mind, says Dzogchen master Tsoknyi Rinpoche, all habitual patterns are naturally liberated in the space of wisdom. That includes the ultimate habit known as samsara. The post The Natural Liberation of Habits appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
El maestro zen Brad Warner acerca de la vez que consideró el suicidio -y el tipo distinto de muerte que eligió. The post Por qué no intenté suicidarme appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
Estar sin un punto de referencia es la soledad última. También se le llama iluminación. The post Seis tipos de soledad appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
The name “Buddha,” means “one who is awake.” Sam Littlefair shares three Buddhist teachings on sleeping, dreaming and - finally - awakening. The post Sleeping, Dreaming, and Waking Up appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
LionsRoar.com's digital editor Lilly Greenblatt looks at the hope in hopelessness. The post Hope in Hopelessness appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
Born's new song is a shot of grounding inspiration right when we all could use it. The post “In This Moment” — Buddhist inspiration and aspiration meet in new Born I Music song/video appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
You have everything you need to start a meditation practice: a mind, a body, and curiosity. Begin today with this collection of starter meditations. The post 5 Meditations You Can Do Right Now appeared first on Lion's Roar. [...]
(Natural News) I’m calling it the “Biden Blowout” — the final fake currency printing blowout that will end the dollar empire and crush the last remnants of the once-great nation known as the United States of America. With the Biden regime now on track to print $7 trillion in 2021 alone, we are rapidly approaching... [...]
(Natural News) The U.K. government reported that more than 240 people have died shortly after getting the Wuhan coronavirus vaccines. British citizens who died after vaccination reportedly obtained either the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or the AstraZeneca jab. These vaccine candidates were approved by the British regulator and subsequently used in mass vaccination efforts. Despite this, the... [...]
(Natural News) The coronavirus pandemic has severely tested global supply chains like no other event in recent world history, resulting in large shocks to both demand and supply. And it’s only about to get worse. According to a report from Bloomberg, hog, cattle and poultry raisers are struggling amidst the highest prices of corn and... [...]
(Natural News) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a temporary moratorium on all electricity billing throughout the Lone Star State after some customers were charged thousands of dollars for just a few days of power. Following the deadly winter storm that left millions of Texans without power, Abbott convened an emergency meeting with state lawmakers... [...]
(Natural News) The title of “bravest athlete in history” now belongs to trans “female” MMA fighter Fallon Fox, a biological male who absolutely destroyed female opponent Tamikka Brents during a recent fight. For using his male hormones to nearly kill Brents, all while pretending to be a female, Outsports contributor Cyd Zeigler wrote in the... [...]
(Natural News) New research out of the University of Hamburg in Germany found that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) was, in fact, created in a Chinese lab. According to world-renowned researcher Roland Wiesendanger, the Wuhan Institute of Virology is the true “cause” of the Chinese virus, not bats at a Wuhan wet market as the world... [...]
(Natural News) Immediately upon entering the White House, China Joe got to work protecting his rapist buddies from south of the border by issuing an executive order halting all deportations of illegal alien sex offenders for at least 100 days. Starting on Jan. 22, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from deporting illegal immigrants... [...]
(Natural News) A Houston-area couple is suing Entergy, the utility company in charge of Texas energy, for gross negligence following the death of their 11-year-old son during the recent blackouts. Cristian Pineda was found dead after trying to stay warm by huddling up in a single room. When his parents found him lying there unconscious,... [...]
(Natural News) As Bitcoin’s popularity continues to rise, driven in part by recent moves by electric automaker Tesla, the true energy cost of the cryptocurrency is also coming to light. A new study shows that Bitcoin uses more energy than the entire country of Argentina. The report comes from Cambridge University, which says that the cryptocurrency has... [...]
(Natural News) Recently released court documents have shown that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can intercept encrypted messages in the Signal app. Federal authorities possess certain tools to access these encrypted correspondences, the documents said. The messaging app recently gained popularity following moves by Big Tech companies to curb free speech. The documents filed... [...]
Science News
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A recent study led by IBM-Zurich has recreated what goes on in Titan's atmosphere, which could help scientists find evidence of life there in the near future! The post Titan’s Atmosphere Recreated in an Earth Laboratory appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
Binary star systems are everywhere. They make up a huge percentage of all known solar systems: from what we can tell, about half of all Sun-like stars have a binary partner. But we haven’t really had a chance to study them in detail yet. That’s about to change. Using data from the European Space Agency’s … Continue reading "Our Part of the Galaxy is Packed with Binary Stars" The post Our Part of the Galaxy is Packed with Binary Stars appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
The Space Court Foundation has launched a new series titled Women of Color in Space! Their first interview with Ruvimbo Samanga is now available for viewing. The post The Space Court Foundation Presents: “Women of Color in Space” appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
A secret coded message was hidden on the gigantic parachute used to land the Perseverance rover safely on the surface on Mars. And no, it wasn’t a clandestine message to the Martians. It was a message of inspiration for us humans. But it also came as a challenge. During a news briefing on February 22, … Continue reading "There was a Secret Code in the Perseverance Parachute" The post There was a Secret Code in the Perseverance Parachute appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
New parallax measurements of Cygnus X-1 by the VLBA find it is more distant than we thought, and therefore more massive. The post Cygnus X-1 was the First Black Hole Ever Found. New Measurements Show it's Much More Massive Than Previously Believed appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
The HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has done it again. The imaging team was able to capture the Perseverance rover as it descended through the Martian atmosphere, hanging under its parachute. Stunning. If you feel you’ve seen something like this before, you have. HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) also captured both the … Continue reading "Perseverance’s Landing … Seen From Orbit!" The post Perseverance’s Landing … Seen From Orbit! appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
You have to be careful what you say to people. When NASA or someone else says that the Perseverance rover will be looking for fossil evidence of ancient life, the uninformed may guffaw loudly. Or worse, they may think that scientists are looking for actual animal skeletons or something. Of course, that’s not the case. … Continue reading "Since Perseverance is Searching for Life, What Will it Be Looking for?" The post Since Perseverance is Searching for Life, What Will it Be Looking for? appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
The Low Frequency Array has mapped a portion of the sky at the lowest radio frequencies ever, revealing more than 25,000 supermassive black holes. The post A map of 25,000 Supermassive Black Holes Across the Universe appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
NASA’s Perseverance rover is practically bristling with cameras. And those cameras were busy during the rover’s breathtaking descent to the Martian surface. Now NASA has released images and videos of the blessed event. Perseverance’s arrival and safe landing at Mars is an amazing accomplishment for NASA, and for all of us. Each of the previous … Continue reading "Watch Perseverance Land on Mars. Mind…Blown" The post Watch Perseverance Land on Mars. Mind…Blown appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
If the Roman Empire had been able to launch a satellite in a relatively high Low Earth Orbit – say about 1,200 km (750 miles) in altitude – only now would that satellite be close to falling back to Earth. And if the dinosaurs had launched a satellite into the furthest geostationary orbit – 36,000 … Continue reading "How Long Will Space Junk Take to Burn Up? Here’s a Handy Chart" The post How Long Will Space Junk Take to Burn Up? Here’s a Handy Chart appeared first on Universe Today. [...]
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People who have had evidence of a prior infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, appear to be well protected against being reinfected with the virus, at least for a few months, according to a new study. This finding may explain why reinfection appears to be relatively rare, and it could have important public health implications. [...]
A new theoretical study has proposed a novel mechanism for the creation of supermassive black holes from dark matter. The international team find that rather than the conventional formation scenarios involving 'normal' matter, supermassive black holes could instead form directly from dark matter in high density regions in the centres of galaxies. The result has key implications for cosmology in the early Universe. [...]
Researchers analyzed the dog's mitochondrial genome, and concluded that the animal belonged to a lineage of dogs whose evolutionary history diverged from that of Siberian dogs as early as 16,700 years ago. The timing of that split coincides with a period when humans may have been migrating into North America along a coastal route that included Southeast Alaska. [...]
Researchers have identified how the slime mold Physarum polycephalum saves memories -- although it has no nervous system. [...]
New research suggests animal personality can be reliably measured simply from the way individual animals move, a type of micropersonality trait, and that the method could be used to help scientists understand about personality differences in wild animals. [...]
A new study explores the extraordinary rate at which the world's largest fish, the endangered whale shark, can recover from its injuries. The findings reveal that lacerations and abrasions, increasingly caused through collisions with boats, can heal in a matter of weeks and researchers found evidence of partially removed dorsal fins re-growing. [...]
By discovering a new printable biomaterial that can mimic properties of brain tissue, researchers are now closer to developing a platform capable of treating conditions using regenerative medicine. [...]
According to a new study, Earth, Venus and Mars were created from small dust particles containing ice and carbon. The discovery opens up the possibility that the Milky Way may be filled with aquatic planets. [...]
New video from NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover chronicles major milestones during the final minutes of its entry, descent, and landing (EDL) on the Red Planet on Feb. 18 as the spacecraft plummeted, parachuted, and rocketed toward the surface of Mars. A microphone on the rover also has provided the first audio recording of sounds from Mars. [...]
When you slip into sleep, it's easy to imagine that your brain shuts down, but new research suggests that groups of neurons activated during prior learning keep humming, tattooing memories into your brain. [...]
The images from five Brazilian amateur astronomers have captured Hubble-level details in galaxies, laying the ground for future work in understanding their histories. Want to join the fun? The post Amateur Astronomers Reveal Long-Ago Galaxy Mergers appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
A single high-energy neutrino may shed light on a star being swallowed by a supermassive black hole some 750 million light-years away. The post Star-shredding Black Hole Makes Ghostlike Particle appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
NASA’s Perseverance rover is providing us with amazing views of its new home., including an amazing video of the sky-crane descent. The post Watch NASA's Perseverance Land in Jezero Crater on Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
A higher mass for Cygnus X-1, the first black hole to be discovered, challenges ideas about the evolution of massive stars. The post First-detected Black Hole is More Massive Than We Thought appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
Scientists have made a new and improved map of possible water-ice reservoirs on Mars. The post New Map of Ice on Mars Will Aid Future Crewed Missions appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
Sirius the Dog Star blazes high in the southeast after dinnertime, the brightest star of Canis Major. Spot it lower left of Orion. The stars of Canis Major can be connected to form a convincing dog profile. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 19 – 27 appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
About once a month this winter, we can watch the Moon take a four-day journey across a field of stars termed the "Winter Hexagon." The post Watch the Moon Journey Across the Winter Hexagon appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
NASA’s Perseverance rover, now safely on the floor of Jezero crater, will soon begin its search for evidence of past life on Mars. The post NASA’s Perseverance Arrives on Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
One week from today, NASA's Perseverance rover will land on Mars. Find resources here — including broadcast of the landing itself. The post Watch Online: NASA's Perseverance Landing on Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]
Snare a dozen bright double stars and deep-sky objects in the celestial Hare the next clear night. We also provide details on how to watch the potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis occult a star the night of February 21st. The post A Deep-sky Hippity-hop through Lepus, the Hare appeared first on Sky & Telescope. [...]