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Brian Greene: Why is our universe fine-tuned for life?

Brian Greene: Why is our universe fine-tuned for life?

HelloFromEarth.net | Gliese 581d This site collected goodwill messages from the public for 13 days in August 2009 which were transmitted to Gliese 581d, a planet outside our Solar System which may support life. Messages were moderated by staff at COSMOS magazine; those accepted for inclusion in the transmission have been published on this site. Transmission occurred at midday on Friday 28 August 2009 and was undertaken by the NASA/CSIRO Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, Australia, using the 70-metre main antenna known as DSS43. Thanks for taking part in this National Science Week event! You can read our best messages below (see BEST MESSAGES SO FAR), see a list of what we think are the top messages received , or browse through all messages here . You can also search messages by the names of people who have successfully left a message, their email addresses or by message content. Stage fright! Alexandra Lynch Brisbane, Australia Yidigunmardin nuruku yajingewa wuremulu jandange. Yidumduma Bill Harney Yu

Burton News & Staffordshire Newspaper | Burton On Trent Local Newspaper Headlines | Daily Mail | Scouting is providing so much for teenagers today SCOUTING numbers in Burton have increased by 12 per cent in the past two years, helping drive the UK total to its highest level this century. Cubs and Scouts gather for National Scouting Week on The Delph, in Swadlincote with Connor Brookes According to the Scout Association’s annual census, the organisation now boasts 970members in the town, up from 866 in 2010 and 967 last year. “It’s so great to see Scout numbers rising,” said Chief Scout and television survival expert Bear Grylls, whose UK organisation now boasts 525,327 members. “A big reason for this is the number of teenagers joining the adventure. “More and more young people are realising that Scouting offers them so much — whether it’s the opportunity to go on a big international adventure or the chance to learn and hone vital life skills.” The annual census shows the number of Scouts in Burton, those aged 10 to 14, have increased from 194 to 208 in the past 12 months, or 7.2 per cent, despite standing at 220 in 2010.

Veggie Revolution Cat flea. Photo: dpd.cdc.gov Shot Grady dead Our 100-year old house is cursed, say the neighbors. Not sure what year that was, but it was a long time ago. Feral black cats mean trouble The flea problem started after we were well into the renovation. Exterminator spraying baseboards Bad move: I called Terminix The contractor told us no one could go in the house, the fleas were so bad. Scary "effects" of the chemicals A week after that, the fleas were back in full force. Fleas return; Terminix says "Too bad" Okay, so a few days later the fleas began showing up again. Just out of curiosity, I called an exterminator with a "nice" sounding name, one the contractor recommended: "Home Team Pest Defense." We kicked the chemicals, went organic Diatomaceous earth After deciding to avoid more toxic spray, our first move was to buy a box of "food grade" diatomaceous earth from Deep Roots Market. That plan worked well. We searched the internet, made lots of phone calls, came up with a plan. f

Bellatrix Orionis - Views from the edge of the Universe | Bellatrix Orionis If we must reform the Lords, here’s how... The most important question to ask about the proposed reform of the House of Lords is this: will it make our system of governance better or worse? The democratic legitimacy of the Upper House or the past promises of political parties should be secondary considerations. This is not to say that the Lords works perfectly or cannot be improved. Its composition can be changed, as happened when the majority of hereditary peers were expelled by the Labour government. But any reform must, crucially, ensure that the chamber continues to carry out its essential functions, which are to act as a check on the Commons and to provide sage and, if possible, impartial scrutiny of legislation. This issue has tangled governments in knots since the first Parliament Act became law in 1911, after the Commons won its clash with the Lords over which should wield most power. The late Lord Bingham, the pre-eminent jurist of his generation, suggested turning the Lords into what he called a Council of the Realm.

7 Books That Will Violently Shift Your Perspectives Once in a while a book comes along that rocks your world so hard that you’re never quite the same after. Here are 7 of those books, ordered by how hard they’re going to rock your skull! On Happiness…. Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris Prentiss Of all the books & articles I have read on happiness, this one is by far the best. Prentiss takes an extremely pragmatic approach to cultivating a mindset of happiness so that nothing can bring you down. The next book on the list is offers a perfect balance to this one. On Mortality and Meaning… Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Viktor Frankl experienced the limits of human suffering during his extended stay in Nazi concentration camps. Now that you have your mind in order, it’s time to move on to your body… Read Man’s Search for Meaning in 15 minutes for free with Blinkist. On Health & Nutrition… Yoga of Eating by Charles Eisenstein – Health & Nutrition There is much more to eating than you think. Our envioronment has a huge impact on us.

Earth - Your life on earth Explore BBC Earth's unique interactive, personalised just to you. Find out how, since the date of your birth, your life has progressed; including how many times your heart has beaten, and how far you have travelled through space. Investigate how the world around you has changed since you've been alive; from the amount the sea has risen, and the tectonic plates have moved, to the number of earthquakes and volcanoes that have erupted. Grasp the impact we've had on the planet in your lifetime; from how much fuel and food we've used to the species we've discovered and endangered. And see how the BBC was there with you, capturing some of the most amazing wonders of the natural world. Explore, enjoy, and share with your friends either the whole page, or your favourite insights. This is your story, the story of your life on earth. BBC Earth's Your life on earth is based on the following sources. Lead photo credit: John Kellerman / Alamy.

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