Where are all the aliens?

Aug 22 2021

The universe is about 90 billion light years in diameter, with at least 100 billion galaxies. This points to trillions of planets similar to Earth existing in many of these galaxies. And yet, we seem to be alone. We have sent out messages as a species deep into space… but no one responded. Where is everyone? What might be the reason for this silence?

This is called the Fermi paradox. To start off, everything outside our ‘local group’ has become out of reach forever as the universe continues to expand. We would have to already limit our scope to our own galaxy – The Milky Way, which consists of around 400 billion stars.

It is also estimated that a fifth of sun-like stars have planets very similar to Earth and situated in just the right habitable zone. If 0.1% of these planets had life, that would translate to a whopping 1,000,000 planets which can support life.

With the Milky Way being around 13 billion years old, the first habitable planets started to form after 2 billion years. That would give life several opportunities to form on a number of planets. And yet, there doesn’t seem to be anything. One possible explanation has to do with filters.

A filter is a limit which life has to surpass before it can advance to the next stage. What if alien life trying to get beyond its filter was annihilated? Or what it certain filters can never be surpassed by any form of life? Filters could be anything from ecological disaster to war to even a species killing pandemic.

But even if this was the case, there would at least be remains of alien civilisations floating around in space or just sitting on a different planet. Humans have already shaped the earth, with many objects set to outlive us for thousands of years. There is one scary alternative…

We could be the first forms of life. What if the reason why we haven’t detected anything yet is because there wasn’t anything to detect? What if we were the first conscious life in the entire local group, or maybe the universe itself? If this scares you, its okay.

Contemplating such cosmic proportions is bound to make us feel small and insignificant. But we really aren’t. If we are indeed alone, we have each other to experience the universe together. If we aren’t alone and it’s just a matter of time before we make contact, we can explore new ways of life together as well… with some new galactic neighbours.

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60 vehicles stopped for excessive driving on Mellieha bypass in one night

Aug 22 2021

Traffic police and community officers stopped 60 vehicles and fined around 22 drivers for excessive speeding just this morning. All these interventions occurred in the Mellieha bypass leading to Ghadira, an area whose residents’ have allegedly reported speeding countless times.

Triq Louis Wettinger has been subject to intense speeding by such reckless drivers, prompting authorities to intervene. The huge amount of stops and fine administrations showed the resident complaints to be true, whilst also prompting other drivers making their way to and from the area to drive more carefully to avoid fines and, more importantly, any life-threatening accidents.

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Photo Source: Mellieha Local Council

Rare crab which looks like a pastry caught by fisherman

Aug 22 2021

Caught off the coast of England by Ian Jepson, this super rare crab looks just like a pastry. Looking more like a pastry dish than a crustacean, the crab was nicknamed the ‘sponge-coated crab’ after being caught off the coast of Cornwall.

The crab was safely returned to where it was initially, but the find made the highlight of Jepson’s day. Such weird and fascinating finds are caught every now and then, with this sponge crab being the latest sea marvel.

According to Jepson, the crabs carve out pieces of sponge and fit them onto their backs. A spike in sightings have been reported, with the crabs allegedly using it for camouflage or even to cover themselves from heat.

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Photo Source: The Fox News

All hands on deck to get students back into classrooms this scholastic year

Aug 22 2021

Prime Minister Robert Abela stated in an interview that everything is being done to ensure that students do not miss out on their educational experience. Speaking during a telephone interview one ONE Radio, Abela revealed how as the scholastic year draws nearer, Malta has a clear direction to get students back into schools to have the proper educational experience.

Health and educational authorities are undergoing negotiations and talks to come up with safe and active measures which will see students returning to the classroom. These arrangements are also targeting post-secondary institutions as these too were impacted by the pandemic. The return to school is being facilitated by the fact that many teachers and school staff have been vaccinated, according to the Prime Minister. Students from the second year of secondary education also have access to the jab, making the process easier and safer.

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Photo Source: Robert Abela FB, Pixabay