Area 51: The aliens home on earth

 

Nearly 200K People Have Signed Up to Steal Alien Secrets from Area 51 in Late-Summer Raid 

As this sign outside of Nevada’s infamous Area 51 military base reminds would-be visitors, guards are authorized to respond to trespassers with deadly force. (Image credit: Barry King/Getty Images)

Pack your shades, your sunscreen and your coziest tinfoil hat, because the late-summer event of the season is happening in Nevada's scenic Area 51, and you're invited. According to a tongue-in-cheek Facebook event called "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," a ragtag army of alien hunters will meet up near the top-secret Air Force base in the predawn hours of Sept. 20, coordinate a plan of attack, then raid the grounds in search of captive aliens. Per the event's hosts (a page that posts memes and a guy who streams video games on Twitch), the delicate operation will involve running supernaturally fast — faster than the guards' bullets can fly — but will be worth it to "see them aliens." So far, nearly 200,000 Facebook users have signed up to attend, with another 200,000 "interested" in the affair. [15 Far-Out Facts About Area 51] This event is, of course, a joke (please, do not raid this or any other military base). Area 51 — a massive plot of desert about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas — is a top-secret military installation that is infamously well-guarded by fences, radars and heavily armed "camo dudes" in white trucks. After more than 60 years of operations, the base's primary purpose remains classified and its grounds restricted to the public, fomenting an aura of spooky secrecy that has intrigued all manner of skeptics and conspiracy theorists for decades. This much is known about the base: It's huge, covering a total of 2.9 million acres (1.2 million hectares) and 5,000 square miles (12,950 square km) of restricted airspace. Officially, the base is part of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), which is affiliated with Nellis Air Force Base; according to the Air Force, it is the largest combined air and ground space for peacetime military operations in the free world. Since the Air Force set up shop there in 1955, Area 51 has hosted hundreds of nuclear weapons tests and has served as a training-and-testing ground for all manner of top-secret stealth aircraft, Live Science previously reported. If you believe the most popular conspiracy theory about the base, one of those aircraft may be an alien saucer that crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico, in the late 1940s. The U.S. military claimed that the mysterious object was a weather balloon (a 1994 Air Force report confirmed this to be true — albeit, a souped-up weather balloon designed to detect far-off nuclear fallout). However, conspiracy theorists insisted that the wreck was indeed an alien spacecraft, which had been subsequently transported to Area 51 to be broken apart, studied and put back together again. This theory gained traction in the 1980s, when a man claiming to have worked at Area 51 told the news media that he had actually seen scientists reverse engineer alien saucers there. This man, it turns out, was a liar who never set foot on the base (he also lied about the colleges he went to and other past employment); but his stories gained enough attention that Area 51 had a new, permanent reputation as that eerie place in the desert where scientists might be tinkering with aliens. Subsequent tests of experimental, top-secret aircraft at the base have only strengthened this far-out legacy.  The allure of the mysterious desert base is undeniable. So, what happens if you do attempt to trespass into Area 51 and liberate the juicy alien secrets contained within? For starters, you'll probably be stopped at gunpoint by guards dressed in camo, as two intrepid adventurers experienced in 2016 after trying to sneak a camera through the base's back gate. According to signs posted around the base, these infamous "camo dudes" are permitted to greet trespassers with deadly force — but, if past encounters are any indication, trespassers are more likely to be met with a hefty fine and a court date. When an SUV filled with tourists accidentally crossed into the base's restricted area a few years ago, the driver and four passengers were each cited with a $650 fine and a misdemeanor charge. The unwary passengers eventually got their charges dropped, but the driver had to pay up — and was banned from leading tours in the area for several years. If you happen to join the joke raid proposed for this September, keep that man's story in mind. When it comes to unearthing the truth of Area 51, you may have only one shot. Choose your plan wisely. [press release from History]

HISTORY(R) ANNOUNCES TWO NEW PREMIUM DOCUMENTARIES "SECRETS IN THE SKY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF SKUNK WORKS" AND "GAME CHANGERS: INSIDE THE VIDEO GAME WARS" AIRING JUNE 9 AND JUNE 16 AS A PART OF ITS HISTORY FILMS STRAND Narrated by Golden Globe(R) and Emmy Award(R) Nominee Actor Dennis Quaid "Secrets In The Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works" Examines the Mysterious Aerospace Organization that Produced a Fleet of Elite History-Making Aircrafts Directed by Academy Award(R) Winner Daniel Junge "Game Changers: Inside the Video Game Wars" Divulges the Ego-Driven Rivalries Between Major Gaming Companies New York, NY - June 4, 2019 - HISTORY premieres two new two-hour documentaries "Secrets In The Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works" on Sunday, June 9 at 9PM ET/PT and "Game Changers: Inside the Video Game Wars" on Sunday, June 16 at 9PM ET/PT as part of its premium documentary strand HISTORY Films, which spotlights significant and gripping historical events deserving to be told. Narrated by Golden Globe(R) and Emmy Award(R) nominee Dennis Quaid and directed by Emmy Award(R) winning director Rory Karpf, "Secrets In The Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works" examines the top-secret organization that for decades, starting in the 1940s, clandestinely churned out the world's most advanced technology and designed highly classified aircraft. Utilizing the narration of Skunk Works team leader Kelly Johnson as inspired by his personal logbooks and meticulous diaries, viewers will be immersed in the secret Skunk Works story of the last 75 years. Directed by Academy Award(R) winner Daniel Junge, "Game Changers: Inside the Video Game Wars" looks at the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, its success and failures and the battle for control from all of the players including Atari, Nintendo, Sega and Sony. Behind the scenes and lawsuits, viewers will learn the true untold story of some of their favorite video games and the masterminds who brought them to life. SECRETS IN THE SKY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF SKUNK WORKS Premieres Sunday, June 9 at 9PM ET/PT For the first time in its 75-year history, Lockheed Martin is opening their hangar doors and pulling back the veil on "Skunk Works," the secret program and subdivision long hidden from the public. Founder and leader Kelly Johnson, as voiced by actor Dennis Quaid, congregated a team comprised of innovators, rule benders and chance takers to partake in the aerospace organization responsible for creating the most innovative machines in modern history - the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird and the first Stealth bomber to name a few. From the mysterious Area 51 test facility to the latest "spy" plane, this documentary goes deep into a world that is still shrouded in secrecy - a world where wars are won not on a battlefield but at a design table of men drafting aviation blueprints and working with their hands to create modern marvels from the ground up. "Secrets In The Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works" is produced by First Row Films in association with A+E Originals. Rory Karpf serves as director. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Jessica Conway serve as executive producers for A+E Originals. Jeff Cvitkovic is co-executive producer. Zachary Behr serves as executive producer for HISTORY. GAME CHANGERS: INSIDE THE VIDEO GAME WARS Premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9PM ET/PT Premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9PM ET/PT This is the untold story of the personal battles that gave rise to the multibillion-dollar video game industry. Brought to life by Academy Award(R) winning director Daniel Junge, this documentary is a tale of brilliant innovations, colossal failures, and ego-driven rivalries on a massive scale. It is a 50-year-long, multi-generation epic featuring corporate coups, industrial espionage and the promise of unimaginable riches being just one cartridge away. Told in chronological order and featuring the sons of the brilliant inventor of the first video game console, Ralph Baer, the co-founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell, and many more experts in the gaming industry, this documentary highlights the programmers, engineers, management and business practices they followed to compete against each other and become the gaming tycoons we know today. "Game Changers: Inside the Video Game Wars" is produced for HISTORY by Efran Films and Stone Cottage Media. Daniel Junge serves as director. Shawn Efran, Morgan Hertzan, Jordan J. Mallari and Megan Harding are executive producers. Zachary Behr serves as executive producer for HISTORY. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for both films. About HISTORY(R) HISTORY, a division of A+E Networks, is the premier destination for historical storytelling. From best-in-class documentary events, to a signature slate of industry leading nonfiction series and premium fact-based scripted programming, HISTORY serves as the most trustworthy source of informational entertainment in media. HISTORY has been named the #1 U.S. TV network in buzz for seven consecutive years by YouGov BrandIndex, and a top favorite TV network by Beta Research Corporation. For a deeper dive, visit history.com or follow @history on Instagram, Twitterand Facebook.

Prime Number Theorem

Mathematicians Will Never Stop Proving the Prime Number Theorem

BySUSAN D'AGOSTINO

July 22, 2020

Why do mathematicians enjoy proving the same results in different ways?

READ LATER

The amount of prime numbers, seen as yellow dots in this hexagonal spiral of positive integers, wanes as the numbers get bigger — a relationship described by the prime number theorem and proved many times over.

“You don’t have to believe in God, but you have to believe in The Book,” the Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős once said. The Book, which only exists in theory, contains the most elegant proofs of the most important theorems. Erdős’ mandate hints at the motives of mathematicians who continue to search for new proofs of already proved theorems. One favorite is the prime number theorem — a statement that describes the distribution of prime numbers, those whose only divisors are 1 and themselves. While mathematicians never know whether a proof would merit inclusion in The Book, two strong contenders are the first, independent proofs of the prime number theorem in 1896 by Jacques Hadamard and Charles-Jean de la Vallée Poussin.

So what does this theorem actually say?

The prime number theorem provides a way to approximate the number of primes less than or equal to a given number n. This value is called π(n), where π is the “prime counting function.” For example, π(10) = 4 since there are four primes less than or equal to 10 (2, 3, 5 and 7). Similarly, π(100) = 25 , since 25 of the first 100 integers are prime. Among the first 1,000 integers, there are 168 primes, so π(1,000) = 168, and so on. Note that as we considered the first 10, 100 and 1,000 integers, the percentage of primes went from 40% to 25% to 16.8%. These examples suggest, and the prime number theorem confirms, that the density of prime numbers at or below a given number decreases as the number gets larger.

But even if you had an ordered list of positive integers up through, say, 1 trillion, who would want to determine π(1,000,000,000,000) by way of a manual count? The prime number theorem offers a shortcut.

Abstractions​ navigates promising ideas in science and mathematics. Journey with us and join the conversation.

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See all Abstractions blog

The theorem tells us that π(n) is “asymptotically equal” to $latex \frac{n}{\ln (n)}$, where ln is the natural logarithm. (You can think of an asymptotic equality as an approximate equality, though it is technically more than that.) As an example, let’s estimate the number of primes up to 1 trillion. Instead of counting individual primes to determine π(1,000,000,000,000), you could use this theorem to learn that there are approximately $latex \frac{1,000,000,000,000}{\ln (1,000,000,000,000)}$ of them, which equals. 36,191,206,825 when rounded to a whole number. This amount is only off by about 4% from the actual answer, 37,607,912,018.

With asymptotic equality, the accuracy improves as you plug larger numbers into the formula. Basically, as you head toward infinity — which is not itself a number, but something larger than any number — the approximate equality in the theorem approaches an actual equality. This is despite the fact that the actual number of primes will always equal an integer, while on the other side of the asymptotic equality, the fraction involving the natural logarithm function could equal any value on the real number line. This connection between integers and real numbers is counterintuitive at best.

It’s mind-blowing stuff, even among mathematicians. Maddeningly, the statement of the prime number theorem does not hint at why any of this is true.

The theorem was never about the theorem. It was always about the proof.

Michael Bode, Queensland University of Technology

“The theorem was never about the theorem. It was always about the proof,” said Michael Bode, a mathematics professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

As elegant as they were, Hadamard’s and de la Vallée Poussin’s original proofs relied on complex analysis — the study of functions with imaginary numbers — which some found unsatisfying as the statement of this theorem does not itself involve complex numbers. However, G.H. Hardy, in 1921, dubbed the prospect of a nonanalytic proof — known as an elementary proof — of the prime number theorem “extraordinarily unlikely” and claimed that if anyone should find one, it would call for “theory to be rewritten.”

Atle Selberg and Erdős himself took on the challenge, and in 1948 they each published new, independent elementary proofs of the prime number theorem using properties of logarithms. These proofs enticed other mathematicians to consider similar methods for number theory conjectures previously considered too profound for such seemingly simple methods. Many exciting results followed, including Helmut Maier’s 1985 elementary proof showing unexpected irregularities in the distribution of primes.

“So many open questions build on the prime number theorem,” said Florian Richter, a mathematician at Northwestern University who recently posted a new elementary proof of this celebrated statement. Richter found his proof while trying to prove a far-reaching extension of the prime number theorem.

So many open questions build on the prime number theorem.

Florian Richter, Northwestern University

Over time, number theorists helped establish a culture in which mathematicians worked on proving and re-proving theorems not just to verify statements, but also to improve their skills at proving theorems and their understanding of the math involved.

This goes beyond the prime number theorem. Paulo Ribenboim cataloged at least 7 proofs of the infinitude of primes. Steven Kifowit and Terra Stamps identified 20 proofs demonstrating that the harmonic series, 1+ $latex \frac{1}{2}$ + $latex \frac{1}{3}$ + $latex \frac{1}{4}$ + $latex \frac{1}{5}$ + $latex \frac{1}{6}$ + $latex \frac{1}{7}$ + …, does not equal a finite number, and Kifowit later followed up with 28 more. Bruce Ratner cites more than 371 different proofs of the Pythagorean theorem, including some gems provided by Euclid, Leonardo da Vinci and U.S. President James Garfield, who was a member of Congress from Ohio at the time.

This habit of re-proving things is now so ingrained, mathematicians can literally count on it. Tom Edgar and Yajun An noted that there have been 246 proofs of a statement known as the quadratic reciprocity law following Gauss’ original proof in 1796. Plotting the number of proofs over time, they extrapolated that we could expect the 300th proof of this theorem around the year 2050.

RELATED:

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1. In Search of God’s Perfect Proofs

2. Big Question About Primes Proved in Small Number Systems

3. Kaisa Matomäki Dreams of Primes

“I love new proofs of old theorems for the same reason I love new roads and shortcuts to places I’ve already been,” said Sophia Restad, a graduate student at Kansas State University. These new paths provide mathematicians with a figurative sense of place for intellectual activity.

Mathematicians may never stop searching for new and more illuminating paths to the prime number theorem and other
beloved theorems. With luck, some of them will even merit
inclusion in The Book.

Result out class 10 CBSE

 

CBSE 10th result will be announced today. Class 10 results will be available on 

 Board of Secondary Education

 official website , 'cbse.nic.in', and 'cbseresults.nic.in'. This year the board had to adopt an alternative assessment scheme after cancellation of exams in a few subjects. The board has already released class 12 results based on the alternative scheme. While for class 12, the board award marks scored by a student in a subject, for class 10 result it awards grades. Grades are awarded in a fashion to highlight a students' relative performance.

Recommended: Choose the right stream (Arts/ Science/ Commerce) after Class 10th. Click here to know

CBSE 10th Result Today: Live Updates

Assessment of theory/practical papers in external subjects is done in numerical scores. The Board will also indicate grades in the marks sheets issued to the candidates in case of subjects of external examinations. In case of internal assessment subjects, only grades shall be shown.

Letter grades on a nine-point scale are used for subjects of external examinations. However, in case of subjects of internal examination the assessment is made on a five point scale i.e. A,B,C,D & E.

The grades in CBSE 10th board external examination will be given as per the scores obtained in the external examination. In case of internal examination it will be awarded by the school.

For awarding the grades, the Board puts all the passed students in a rank order and awards grades as per the system given below:

A-1: Top 1/8th of the passed candidates

A-2: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

B-1: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

B-2: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

C-1: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

C-2: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

D-1: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

D-2: Next 1/8th of the passed candidates

E: Failed candidates

This year, however, the board may decide not to mark 'FAIL' in subjects for exams were cancelled and instead will mark 'Essential Repeat', a protocol followed during CBSE 12th results.

Covid-19

Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:

Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

Maintain social distancing

Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider

Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

Protection measures for persons who are in or have recently visited (past 14 days) areas where COVID-19 is spreading

• Follow the guidance outlined above.

• Stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and slight runny nose, until you recover. Why? Avoiding contact with others and visits to medical facilities will allow these facilities to operate more effectively and help protect you and others from possible COVID-19 and other viruses.

• If you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Call in advance and tell your provider of any recent travel or contact with travelers. Why? Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also help to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

Amazing facts

1. The human brain has the capacity which is equivalent to more than four

     terabytes on hard drive.

2. The new born child can  breath and swell at the same time for seven months.

3. 50,000 cells in our body die and get replaced by the new while we read this         

    sentence. 

4. The total length of all the blood vessels in the human body is about 100,000 km.

5. We lose 80% of our body heat from the head.

6. If allowed to grow for the whole life hair would be about 725 kilometer.

7. 99% of the calcium contained in the human body is in one's teeth.

8. People with blue eyes are more sensitive to pain than others.

9. The right lung can take in more air than left lung.

10. Our eyes remain in the same size as they were at birth but our nose and ears          

       never stop growing.

11. There is enough DNA in the average person's body to stretch from the Sun to 

       Pluto and back - 17 times.

12. The average human body carries 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells.

13. There are 8 times as many atoms in a teaspoonful of water as there in the     

      Atlantic Ocean.

14. The universe is made up of 50,000,000,000 galaxies.

15. Grasshoppers have ears in their bellies.

16. Octopuses have three hearts, nine brains and blue blood.

17. Banana oil is made from petroleum.

18. 84% of a raw apple and 96% of a raw cucumber is water.

19. A notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree 
      grows.

20. The largest single flower is the Rafflesia or corpse flower. They are generally 3.   
      feet in diameter with the record 42 inches.

21. Quinine, one of the most important drugs known to man, is obtained from the   
      dried bark of an evergreen tree native of South America.