Nancy Young, Author at Argyll Free Press

Scientists Discover a Seemingly Impossible Galaxy, One Without Dark Matter

April 5, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Scientists claim to have found a so-called impossible galaxy, one without dark matter.

Astronomers have discovered that the NGC1051-DF2 galaxy has no dark matter, but they do not understand why. Traditionally, it was believed that every galaxy had to have some, even though researchers could not see it. Yale professor Pieter van Dokkum says that this discovery was highly unexpected.

Why Scientists are Calling NGC1051-DF2 the Impossible Galaxy

The unseen matter that makes up about 80 percent of our universe cannot be observed. However, its existence can be recorded through gravitational lensing.

NGC1051-DF2, the so-called impossible galaxy, is located about 65 million away, and it only has about 0.5 percent of the stars found in the Milky Way. This galaxy was discovered by the Dragonfly Telephoto Array located in New Mexico.

Scientists point out that the stars in this galaxy that moves very slowly account for almost all of its weight. This leaves no room for dark matter and further confirms what scientists believe to have discovered.

While researchers are at a loss to thoroughly explain why the impossible galaxy has no dark matter, they have come up with a plausible theory. This points out that this galaxy sits next to the NGC 1052 galaxy. As such, some believe that the NGC1051-DF2 galaxy may have formed in a cloud sent off by this latter, larger galaxy.

Peter van Dokkum says that this discovery calls into question many things that astronomers previously thought they knew about how galaxies were formed.

Up until this finding, astronomers believed that galaxies started off their life as dark matter. Then, gas was thought to fall into its halos before eventually becoming stars. Now, scientists are not as sure about how galaxies come to exist.

While some specialists are perplexed by this impossible galaxy without dark matter, others are raising questions about what this means in relation to well-known theories surrounding things such as gravity.

As it is, this discovery will likely continue causing debates for many years to come. Current study findings are available in a paper in the journal Nature.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Volusia County Teen Arrested for Biting Chicken’s Head Off

April 4, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

The Volusia County teen bragged to his friends about decapitating a chicken.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 17-year-old high school student was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty. According to the arrest warrant, the Volusia County teen entered the school’s chicken coop, bit a chicken’s head off, and went on to brag to his friends.

Volusia County Teen Called ‘Sadistic’ by Sheriff’s Deputies

On Saturday, the sheriff’s deputies took David Andrew Jimenez into custody after some of his classmates called the authorities concerning the teen’s behavior.

According to Mike Chitwood, the Volusia County Sheriff, on Saturday, the Orange County University High School where Jimenez is studying held an agricultural event called “Farm to Table.” The purpose of this event is to teach teenagers about what’s it like to live on a farm and grow your own food.

One of the event’s activities involved raising chickens and collecting eggs. The authorities declared that, on Saturday afternoon, Jimenez snuck into the school and went straight to the chickens’ coop. There, he grabbed a chicken by the neck, bit its head off, and spit it on the floor.

Later that day, a school attendant found the dead chicken’s head lying on the coop’s floor and the headless animal abandoned in the school’s parking lot.

Meanwhile, Jimenez, probably infatuated with his ‘courageous’ act went to some of his classmates and bragged out how he decapitated a chicken with his teeth just to watch the poor animal die.

Appalled by the teen’s confession, Jimenez’s classmates reported him to the high school who, in turn, called the authorities.

The Volusia County teen was later taken into custody and charged with trespassing and aggravated animal cruelty. Chitwood, who earlier declared that the teen’s gesture is a bit sadistic, mentioned that other charges might be brought against the teen, who’s expected in court on Wednesday.

Image source: Wikipedia

State-Wide Manhunt for Forensic Psychologist Who Helped Patient Escape Mental Facility

March 22, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Forensic Psychologist and Patient on the Run.

Arkansas law enforcement officials votes for manhunt in case of forensic psychologist who helped patient escape.

The Arkansas authorities have announced that several state agencies have joined forces in mounting a state-wide manhunt for a 41-year-old forensic psychologist who helped a mental patient escape a Little Rock facility. Suspects were spotting fleeing the facility by security cameras.

Forensic Psychologist Used Access Card to Bust Out Mental Patient

During a recent press conference, the Arkansas authorities revealed that a state-wide manhunt had been mounted in order to capture 41-year-old Michelle Messer, an Arkansas State Hospital psychologist, and 46-year-old Cory Chapin, a patient with a severe mental condition.

According to the authorities, Messer entered the building on Tuesday night using her access card, traversed the forensic unit, went to the wing where Chapin was committed and opened his cell door. The security cameras affixed to the hospital’s courtyard captured the forensic psychologist running with Chapin.

At the moment, the authorities are trying to establish the relationship between the two and determined how Messer ended up caring for Chapin.

According to a document recently made public by the authorities, Chapin was arrested and charged in 2015 with theft, kidnapping, driving without a license, and drug possession of someone with a mental illness.

He was briefly acquitted on account of his mental illness and committed to the Little Rock facility. One year later, the patient who would claim in court that it was God who ordered him to kidnap his victim, managed to flee the state after the medical board granted him a two-day pass in order to visit his father.

Chapin would be apprehended in 2017 in Las Vegas and returned to the mental facility. Following his recommitment, the forensic psychologist would be called upon to handle his case.

And now, for reasons unknown, the woman not only facilitated his escape but ran away with him.

Image source: Flickr

This Blood Test Could Spot Cancer with 70% Accuracy

January 19, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a blood test that can detect cancer earlier with an accuracy of 70%. The tests can spot eight different types of cancer.

Scientists hope the blood test will be used annually to detect the disease and help save more patients’ lives. British experts hailed the findings for being “enormously exciting”.

The research team explained that cancer leaves small traces of mutated proteins and DNA in the patient’s blood. The new detection tool called the Cancer Seek can spot eight mutated proteins and dozens of mutations in 16 genes tied to cancer.

The research team tested Cancer Seek on more than 1,000 cancer patients. The test was able to spot pancreas, liver, colon, breast, ovary, oesophagus, lung, and stomach cancer in 70% of patients.

Dr Cristian Tomasetti, who was involved in the research, expressed hope that the new diagnosis tool could have an “enormous impact” on cancer death rates as the chances of successfully treating cancer grow as the disease is spotted earlier.

A Powerful Screening Tool

The blood test can detect five cancers for which there are no early detection tools. For instance, pancreatic cancer is very deadly because it has no symptoms. It is usually detected too late and this is why 80% of patients die shortly after the diagnosis.

Also, detecting tumors early will enable doctors to intervene quickly and surgically remove them. The research team is now testing the new tool on people that have never had cancer.

Cancer Seek could be used in combos with colonoscopies and mammograms for higher accuracy. Dr. Tomasetti wants the new blood test to be done annually.

A research paper detailing Cancer Seek’s effectiveness was published in the journal Science.

Researchers are confident that the test can be improved to detect more cancers.
Image Source: Wikimedia

President Trump Is No Fatter than Most Americans

January 18, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

After a report revealed that the United States President is considered “overweight” and doesn’t exercise at all, America has become obsessed with it. However, experts noted that the Commander in Chief is no fatter or less active than most Americans.

According to recent estimates, 70.7 percent of Americans are considered “overweight” or “obese” when looking at their Body Mass Index (BMI). Mr. Trump weighs 239 pounds which means that he needs one more pound to be deemed “obese” by BMI’s standards.

Despite his weight problems, his health is considered “excellent”. Experts note that BMI is not an accurate measure of fat as it cannot distinguish between fat and muscle. The fat makes us ill, not the muscle.

However, the President’s BMI doesn’t put him in a minority. Most U.S. adults are obese or overweight. And they fail to get the weekly recommended dose of exercise. Nearly 80% of U.S. adults are weight challenged.

The President Does Need to Lose Some Weight

What’s more, there are some ways of determining fat composition that are more accurate than BMI. X-Rays and a bioelectrical impedance analysis can tell fat from muscle. Measuring waist circumference is another more helpful tool than BMI. If the waist circumference exceeds the hips there is indeed an excess of fat and that person could face premature death.

President’s personal physician Dr. Ronny Jackson promised to design an exercise routine and diet plan fit for the President. Jackson claims that Trump said he would like to lose some weight.

The medic said a “reasonable goal” would be to lose 10-15 pounds this year. Mr. Trump is more enthusiastic about changing his diet than exercising, but Jackson isists he should do both.

Recent tests have shown that the President may be having heart disease and struggles with high cholesterol.
Image Source: Defense.gov

Controversial Crypto Exchange Shut Down for Being a Ponzi Scheme

January 17, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

BitConnect was abruptly taken offline on Tuesday following multiple cease and desist orders in two U.S. states. North Carolina and Texas authorities have long suspected that the controversial crypto exchange has been designed as a Ponzi scheme from the very beginning.

According to Bloomberg, two top regulators in the said states warned BitConnect that it lacks a license to trade securities across the states. Regulators also noted that the exchange had been touted the operations as “safe” ways of earning big returns, but it has so far failed to provide investors with the necessary info about the algorithms powering the Trading Bot.

In response, the company complained that the “continuous bad press” had eroded the public’s trust in the platform. It also placed the blame on numerous “DDos attacks” that had weakened the platform and panicked the community. It assured users that the BitConnect Coin (BCC) could still be traded on other platforms.

An Exchange Run Like a Ponzi Scheme

BitConnect traders first needed to invest real money in BCC to access the platform. The company has long promised high returns if the loans were long-term enough. However, many analysts accused the platform of running a Ponzi scheme-like business by funding the big returns from new BCC investments from new users.

BCC has started shedding value this month and analysts expect a big crash just around the corner.

Tech Crunch reported that while the platform has been refunding older loans at $363.62 per BCC over the last 15 days, BCC is worth less than $40. So, many users have reported “severe financial losses” in lost Bitcoins or U.S. dollars. Most of the original investments were made in Bitcoins.

TNW confirmed that BCC’s value jumped to $425 about a week ago, but it is now hardly worth $30, and its value continues to plummet.
Image Source: Bitconnect.com

Boeing’s Next-Gen Spy Jet Will Be 5 Times Faster than Sound

January 16, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Boeing has announced a hypersonic model better and faster than the iconic Blackbird SR-71 spy jet, which will be able to break the sound barrier and be 5 times faster than sound.

A concept model of the revamped plane, which is called “Son of Blackbird,” was showcased at a showroom in Orlando, Florida. However, the plane has not been built yet and the company couldn’t provide a timeline for the project. The new spy jet will be a rival to Lockheed Martin’s spy plane, the SR-72.

The two models are capable of carrying out spy missions and even attacks. Boeing told the Aviation Week Aerospace Daily that the new model will take two steps to develop.

During the first stage, the company will conduct flight tests of an engine that is just a “proof of concept” for the time being. The next stage involves developing a twin-engine and incorporate it into a full-scale operational plane. The dimensions of the new plane will match those of the SR-71, i.e. it will be 107-foot-long.

Boeing Has Ambitious Plans

Boeing plans to build a plane that is faster even than the Mach 5 hypersonic jet which is five times faster than the speed of sound. Mach 1 flies at the speed of sound which is 767 mph or 1,235 km per hour.

So, Son of Bird will fly at a mind-blowing speed of 3,835 mph (or 6,174 km per hour). By contrast, a 700-passenger commercial plane travels at a maximum speed of 550 mph (885km per hour).

However, the SR-71’s successor will have to take off and land without the help of a human pilot, jutst like the initial model built in 1964.

Boeing engineers plan to first test a conventional engine to hit the speeds of Mach 3 and to use a different configuration to match the Mach 5. The company couldn’t unveil a date for a sky-ready plane.
Image Source: Maxpixel

Coconut Oil Can Trim Heart Disease Risk in Just 4 Weeks (Study)

January 15, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Coconut oil does not only boost your immune system and keep your skin silky smooth, it can also lower the risk of heart disease.

New research suggests that the natural ingredient can decrease heart disease risk in as little as 4 weeks of continuous consumption.

A group of researchers at the University of Cambridge found that consuming the healthy oil can visibly reduce risk of heart disease and stroke in just one month.

The study involved 94 volunteers within the 50-75 age bracket. No participant had been diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes prior to the study. Researchers asked participants to consume 50 grams of either coconut oil, extra virgin olive (EVO) oil, or unsalted butter.

Researchers tracked participants for changes in their cholesterol levels for one month.

The study revealed that EVO oil consumers saw a decline in bad cholesterol levels and a 5 percent rise in good cholesterol levels. The coconut oil consumers saw their good cholesterol levels go up by 15%, which marked the most positive change for all three fats. The butter group saw its bad cholesterol levels jump 10 percent after following the diet plan for one month.

Coconut Oil Is Good for the Heart

The research team concluded that coconut oil has the potential of keeping cardiovascular disease at bay. Coconut oil has been long recommended for various beauty hacks and home remedies for dry skin, high blood sugar levels, gastrointestinal issues, constipation, and hemorrhoids.

Researchers explained that the plant oil is packed with saturated fats that can improve health, keep bad cholesterol at bay, and transform bad cholesterol into good one. If the good cholesterol level is high, the risk of heart disease is minimal.

You too can have a healthy heart with just three tablespoons of coconut oil per day, but you can also add it to coffee, fried recipes, and smoothies. If you add it to hot drinks ensure that you blend it until it reaches a creamy texture.
Image Source: Pixabay

Trump Claims Ousted FBI Agent Committed Treason

January 12, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

President Donald Trump accused a former FBI agent that special counsel Robert Mueller ousted last summer of committing ‘treason’ when he exchanged several anti-Trump messages with his lover.

Mueller removed counterintelligence veteran Peter Strzok from the team investigating the Russia collusion, after Strzok criticized and mocked Trump in a series of text messages sent to one of the bureau’s attorneys Lisa Page.

After the controversial text messages surfaced, the President and his team accused Mueller’s team of being biased against them.

On Thursday, President Trump told the Wall Street Journal that Strzok is a traitor. The Commander in Chief quoted Strzok saying that if Hillary Clinton loses the presidential race, the FBI would “go to phase two” and remove Trump from office.

This is the FBI we’re talking about — that is treason. That is a treasonous act. What [Strzok] tweeted to his lover is a treasonous act,

Trump told the WSJ.

FBI Agent’s Controversial Texts

In December, the Washington Post reported that the disgraced FBI agent tweeted the anti-Trump messages while he was investigating Clinton’s mishandling of thousands of work e-mails via a private server in her home instead of a State Department’s server.

The Post also found that Strzok was cheating on his wife with Page, his FBI colleague. During those tweets, the former FBI agent was working under the FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Numerous media reports have shown that the pair exchanged anti-Trump texts throughout the entire presidential campaign. In August 2016, the ousted FBI operative expressed disbelief that Trump could win the election. He added that America couldn’t take the risk.

At the time, he compared a Trump victory with an “unlikely event” somebody dies before they hit the age of 40. He also mentioned an “insurance policy,” a coded term expressing the need for the FBI to continue investigating whether there had been a collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Image Source: Wikimedia

U.S. Travel Advisory: Five Mexican States as Dangerous as Syria

January 11, 2018 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

According to a U.S. State Department’s “do not travel” advisory, tourists planning to travel to Mexico should avoid five crime-ridden Mexican states which are now considered as risky as Syria.

The advisory represents the highest level of U.S. government’s revamped four-level travel advisory system. Tourists are advised to stay away from the states of Tamaulipas, Colima, Guerrero, Sinaloa, and Michoacan as they are ridden with crime.

The federal government has warned against some parts of the five Mexican states, but it is the first time the states are put on the list entirely. The new rating matches that given to other high-risk countries like Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

“Violent crime, such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery is widespread,”

the State Department warns about the Mexican states.

The advisory also reads that the U.S. government does not offer enough emergency services to travelers in those states as government workers had been barred from traveling to those areas.

Some Mexican States Are Very Risky Travel Destinations

Travelers who insist on visiting the states are advised to use toll roads and not drive at night. Travelers should be extra careful when using banks or ATMs or visiting local bars.

Tourists are also asked not to flaunt their possessions like expensive jewelry or watches.

Mexico, which has 31 states, has just a two-level rating which means that U.S. travelers are only asked to “exercise increased caution” when visiting the southern neighbor. Eleven states, however, have a three-level warning, which means that tourists are advised to “reconsider travel”.

In December, Mexican Secretary of Tourism Enrique de la Madrid Cordero said that there is no risk for American tourists visiting the country. Yet, a State Department shows that 264 American tourists died in Mexico in 2016, of whom 75 were killed.
Image Source: Wikimedia