Mushrooms R Us

08/07/2023

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗔’𝗦 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 ‘𝗡𝗘𝗨𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘’ 𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦: 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁
By The Washington Times

China‘s People’s Liberation Army is developing high-technology weapons designed to disrupt brain functions and influence government leaders or entire populations, according to a report by three open-source intelligence analysts.

The weapons can be used to directly attack or control brains using microwave or other directed energy weapons in handheld guns or larger weapons firing electromagnetic beams, adding that the danger of China‘s brain warfare weapons prior to or during a conflict is no longer theoretical.

“Unknown to many, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have established themselves as world leaders in the development of neurostrike weapons,” according to the 12-page report, “Enumerating, Targeting and Collapsing the Chinese Communist Party’s Neurostrike Program.” A copy of the study was obtained by The Washington Times.

The U.S. Commerce Department in December 2021 imposed sanctions on China‘s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and 11 related entities the department said were using “biotechnology processes to support Chinese military end-uses and end-users, to include purported brain-control weaponry.”

Few public studies or discussion, however, have been held regarding the new advanced military capability.

Neurostrike is a military term defined as the engineered targeting of the brains of military personnel or civilians using non-kinetic technology. The goal is to impair thinking, reduce situational awareness, inflict long-term neurological damage and cloud normal cognitive functions.

The study was written by Ryan Clarke, a senior fellow at the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore; Xiaoxu Sean Lin, a former Army microbiologist now with Feitan College; and L.J. Eads, a former Air Force intelligence officer and current specialist in artificial intelligence for the U.S. intelligence community. The three authors write that China‘s leadership “views neurostrike and psychological warfare as a core component of its asymmetric warfare strategy against the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific.”

According to the report, neurostrike capabilities are part of the military standard military capabilities and should not be viewed as an unconventional weapon limited to use in extreme circumstances.

Likely areas of use for the weapons included Taiwan, the South China Sea, East China Sea and the disputed Sino-Indian border.

The threat is not limited to the use of microwave weapons: “[China‘s] new landscape of neurostrike development includes using massively distributed human-computer interfaces to control entire populations as well as a range of weapons designed to cause cognitive damage,” the report said.

Research is focused on using brain warfare weapons in the near term, and possibly during a Chinese military assault on Taiwan — a target for future Chinese military operations that U.S. military leaders have said could be carried out in the next four years.

“Any breakthrough in this research would provide unprecedented tools for the CCP to forcibly establish a new world order, which has been [Chinese President] Xi Jinping’s lifelong goal,” the report said.

Militarily, brain warfare can be used in what the Pentagon has called China‘s “anti-access, area-denial” military strategy for the Indo-Pacific.

“Imagine (at least partially) immunized PLA troops being inserted into a geography where a specific weaponized bacterial strain has been released prior to their entry to prepare the ground and eliminate points of resistance,” the report states. “Any remaining sources of resistance on the ground are then dealt with through [Chinese] neurostrike weaponry that instill intense fear and/or other forms of cognitive

Picture: Spectators wave Chinese flags as military vehicles carrying DF-41 ballistic missiles roll during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. China on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, criticized Washington for imposing sanctions on Chinese companies the U.S. says exported missile technology and accused the United States of hypocrisy for selling nuclear-capable cruise missiles. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

25/04/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q2YHGIlUDk

Dr Jordan B Peterson and Dr. Judith Curry discuss climate change, the major error in current models and future predictions, academic fraud, and the need for ...

23/03/2023

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔 𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝗳𝘁
By Fox News

A new ocean could form in the distant future after a split continues to form in Africa, according to researchers.

"This is the only place on Earth where you can study how a continental rift becomes an oceanic rift," Christopher Moore, a doctoral student at the University of Leeds, told The Economic Times.

"We can see that oceanic crust is starting to form because it’s distinctly different from continental crust in its composition and density," Moore said.

The split formed in the desert of Ethiopia, creating the possibility that countries such as Kenya and Uganda could develop a coastline as a new ocean forms in the crevice.

The 35-mile-long split, known as the East African Rift, formed in 2005, but any development into a new ocean will take around five to 10 million years, researchers said.

"The Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will flood in over the Afar region and into the East African Rift Valley and become a new ocean, and that part of East Africa will become its own separate small continent," Ken Macdonald, a marine geophysicist and a professor emeritus at the University of California, told Mashable.

"As we get more and more measurements for GPS, we can get a much greater sense of what's going on."

The cause of the split remains unknown, but some believe the formation of the rift was driven by tectonic processes similar to those occurring at the bottom of the ocean, according to the Times.

The rift sits at the border of three tectonic plates that have been drifting apart for some time. The plates – identified as the Somalian tectonic plate, the Nubian tectonic plate and the Arabian tectonic plate – drift farther apart by a few millimeters per year, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Cynthia Ebinger, a geophysicist at Tulane University in New Orleans, noted that the split has developed in an area with some of the highest temperatures on the planet.

"The hottest inhabited town on the Earth’s surface is in the Afar," Ebinger told NBC News. "Daytime temperatures often go to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and they cool off to a balmy 95 degrees at night."

She described how the split initially formed, taking just a few days to do what normally takes "several hundred years" of tectonic plate movement.

"We’re trying to understand the straw that breaks the camel’s back," she said, speculating that the build-up of pressure from rising magma could trigger the explosive events so far seen in the region.

07/11/2022

08/09/2022

𝗢𝘂𝗿𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗦 — 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗔 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦

𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗶 𝗥𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗵𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘇𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 “𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱” 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲.

(Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mushrooms R Us.)

Leni Riefenstahl said her epic films glorifying the N***s depended on a “submissive void” in the German public. This is how propaganda is done. By John Pilger Special to Consortium News In the 1970s, I met one of Hitler’s leading propagandists, Leni Riefenstahl, whose epic films glorified

28/08/2022

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗘: 𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗨𝗦, 𝗛𝗜𝗩, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗬𝗣𝗢𝗫 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀, 𝗛𝗜𝗩, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘅 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘁.
By Breitbart News

The patient, an Italian male, developed a series of symptoms — including fatigue, fever, and a sore throat — nine days after returning from his vacation where he engaged in unprotected s*x, the UK Independent reports.

According to researchers from the University of Catania in Italy, the 36-year-old man, who has not been identified, also showed a modest enlargement of the liver and spleen and painful enlargement of the lymph nodes.

The man was reportedly vaccinated for coronavirus with two doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine.

The scientists stated their observations in the Journal of Infection, adding that on admission the patient reported being treated for syphilis in 2019. The following warning was added in their report:

Our case emphasises that s*xual in*******se could be the predominant way of transmission. Therefore, complete STI screening is recommended after a diagnosis of monkeypox. In fact, our patient tested positive for HIV-1 and, given his preserved CD4 count, we could assume that the infection was relatively recent.

The researchers stated this is the only reported case of monkeypox virus, coronavirus and HIV co-infection, and added there is still not enough evidence supporting the conclusion this combination may aggravate the patient’s condition.

There are 632.4 million people living with the three viruses individually.

The case of the infected Italian holidaymaker comes after the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) confirmed last week a dog has been infected with monkeypox through human contact, as Breitbart News reported.

Commenting on the first human-to-dog transmission of the virus, Dr Rosamund Lewis, technical lead on the monkeypox response team at the W.H.O., said the case should be heeded as a warning to others.

“This is the first case reported of human-to-animal transmission. This has not been reported before, and we believe it is the first instance of a canine being infected,” Lewis outlined.

News of the infection attracted fresh attention after a report from France, published last week in the medical journal Lancet, about an Italian greyhound that caught the virus while living with two gay owners in Paris.

The dog belongs to a couple who said they share a bed with the family pet, AP reports.

Gay and bis*xual men at risk of catching monkeypox have also been told to reduce their number of s*xual partners “for the moment” by World Health Organization (W.H.O.) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

23/08/2022

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗚𝗡𝗧𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀

𝗫-𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗔 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 - 𝗔𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗜𝗡.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗱𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗫-𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘅𝘆 𝟴𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.
By Christopher McFadden – Interesting Engineering

Dan Wilkins, who made the observations, saw a number of thrilling, but not unusual, bright X-ray flares. Then, the telescopes caught a surprise: more X-ray flashes that were smaller, later, and had different "colours" than the bright flares.

Such a phenomenon has been theorized to exist before and is explained by the fact that as gas descends into a supermassive black hole, brilliant flares of X-ray emissions are produced -- exactly as seen by researchers.

Short X-ray flashes were then observed after the flares subsided. These flashes corresponded to the reflection of the flares from the far edge of the disc, which had been curved around the black hole by its potent gravitational field. The flares then reverberated off of the gas plunging towards the black hole.

Although even a rudimentary understanding of black holes reveals that this is a weird place for light to originate from, the theory suggests that these bright echoes are compatible with X-rays reflected from behind the black hole.

“Any light that goes into that black hole doesn’t come out, so we shouldn’t be able to see anything that’s behind the black hole,” explained Wilkins, who is a research scientist at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory."

"It is another strange characteristic of the black hole, however, that makes this observation possible. “The reason we can see that is because that black hole is warping space, bending light and twisting magnetic fields around itself,” Wilkins added.

The odd discovery was described in a study that appeared on July 28, 2022, in Nature (linked below). It is the first direct observation of light coming directly from behind a black hole, a scenario that Einstein's theory of general relativity predicted but which had never been verified before.

“Fifty years ago, when astrophysicists starting speculating about how the magnetic field might behave close to a black hole, they had no idea that one day we might have the techniques to observe this directly and see Einstein’s general theory of relativity in action,” said Roger Blandford, a co-author of the paper who is the Luke Blossom Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford Professor of physics, and SLAC Professor of particle physics and astrophysics.

THE STUDY WAS ORIGINALLY TO STUDY BLACK HOLE CORONAE

This study's initial goal was to better understand the corona, a puzzling characteristic of some black holes. The universe's brightest constant sources of light are powered by material falling into supermassive black holes, and as it does so, a corona is created around the black hole. It is possible to map and describe a black hole by analysing these X-ray photons.

According to the dominant theories, a corona is created when gas enters a black hole and super-heats to millions of degrees. A magnetized plasma is produced when electrons split from atoms at that temperature.

The magnetic field becomes completely broken as a result of the black hole's strong spin, which causes it to arch so high above the black hole and spin erratically that it has been given the term "corona." This phenomenon is similar to what occurs around our own Sun.

“This magnetic field getting tied up and then snapping close to the black hole heats everything around it and produces these high energy electrons that then go on to produce the X-rays,” explained Wilkins.

Wilkins also noticed a string of smaller flashes as he got closer to the flares to examine their source. The scientists discovered that these are the identical X-ray flares that were reflected from the disk's back, giving them their first look at a black hole's far side.

“I’ve been building theoretical predictions of how these echoes appear to us for a few years,” said Wilkins. “I’d already seen them in the theory I’ve been developing, so once I saw them in the telescope observations, I could figure out the connection.”

SO, WHAT'S NEXT?

More observations will be needed as the effort to describe and comprehend coronas progresses. Athena, an X-ray observatory built by the European Space Agency, will be a part of that future (Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics). Wilkins is working on the Wide Field Imager detector for Athena in the lab of Steve Allen, a professor of physics at Stanford, as well as particle physics and astrophysics at SLAC.

“It’s got a much bigger mirror than we’ve ever had on an X-ray telescope and it’s going to let us get higher resolution looks in much shorter observation times,” said Wilkins. “So, the picture we are starting to get from the data at the moment is going to become much clearer with these new observatories.”

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗮 – 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘀_𝗶𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸

22/08/2022

𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆𝗚𝗕𝗟@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡?

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.
By Rob Hersov – Published in the Daily Friend

This ANC-induced mess threatens the very fragile fabric of our emancipation from apartheid, causing the country to fall deeper into the abyss of poverty, raising unemployment, worsening crime, increasing inequality and further polarising one group from another, and distancing South Africa from the rest of the developed and developing world.

We need an energy revolution to get us out of the mess that the ANC has created. But not the ill-conceived and childlike Eskom 2.0 vomited out by Gwede Mantashe and praised by Cyril Ramaphosa as “not a bad idea”, while a mere week later he presents his own clumsy and barely thought-out “energy solution”. It is more than obvious this ANC government has no plan and certainly no capability to fix the mess it has delivered to the country.

GREENHOUSE GASES

South Africa generates less than one percent of global greenhouse gases, yet as a developing nation we have the most ambitious pledges in terms of the Paris Agreement compared to other BRICS nations. Why? Are we trying desperately to punch above our weight?

Like the US and other smart countries, South Africa needs to secure its energy sovereignty. Even if we had 6000MW of renewables tomorrow, it would not solve our energy crisis. Load-shedding will still persist. We need more dispatchable and more reliable and more available energy generation like gas, which the EU has now declared a green fuel. Even the Minister of Environment, Barbara Creecy, calls it a “transition fuel” in terms of our Just Transition policy.

The South African government is realising quickly that it has placed unnecessary environmental controls on Eskom and our once-thriving industry, to the detriment of our battered economy and desperately needed energy sovereignty. Russia’s destructive invasion of Ukraine has delivered a wake-up call to all nations, especially those depending on Russian gas like Germany and others, that their own citizens must take priority. Our BRICS associates have realised that too. So-called “green nations” like Germany are rushing back to coal and gas, and to nuclear.

As Ramaphosa has declared, this is the first historical nationwide energy crisis, but he has yet to admit his government is to blame.

UNCONVENTIONAL MEANS

We therefore must resort to some unconventional means of getting energy onto the grid, and gas is the fastest and most obvious solution. Even Eskom CEO De Ruyter admits this. We therefore need enabling green tape, and serious cutting of ANC-beloved red tape. We need enabling regulations, and not those that want to kill the economy. And we need the private sector to be allowed to deliver the solution, as the ANC government is clearly incapable, grossly corrupt, and fundamentally incompetent.

The recent regulations to limit certain activities around onshore shale gas exploration and production are highly questionable. While one department promotes energy security, the other wants to suppress it – former President Thabo Mbeki made it clear and public that the ANC has no policy or direction. What we urgently need is a moratorium on these unnecessary regulations. The recent relaxation of environmental impact assessment requirements is welcomed, but that is not enough.

We also need a national debate to discuss the:

– Technical Case for more easily despatchable energy, like gas, in our energy mix, with a significant review of the IRP;

– Economic Case for alternative forms of energy, and not just solar and wind. What is the true levelised cost of energy? Who are the real beneficiaries and what should be the most affordable way to bring energy as fast as possible?

– Social Case for less red tape, removing unnecessary regulations. We must face head-on the selfish and cult-like green activism that is strangling our nation. We can still ensure realistic environmental protection while delivering sustainable development. In terms of the United Nations Convention on Sustainable Development, our country should step up and promote this sustainable development. Let us have a real conversation on what sustainable development really is all about. Other BRICS countries have put their citizens’ basic needs first, and so should we; and

– Political Case to embrace energy sovereignty for our country. We need to secure our energy future through whatever means possible. We cannot allow a handful of government officials with their pet projects to hold this country to ransom with their unsubstantiated green agendas (borrowed mainly from the West), or communist-inspired giant command and control projects which inevitably fail and are cesspits for breeding cadres and corruption.

SHALE GAS

It is well known that there is a huge basin of shale gas underneath at least half of the territory of South Africa. We also know from the US, Canada, and other markets that there is an environmentally friendly, responsible, and sustainable way to explore, produce, and distribute it.

Let’s therefore give ourselves a chance and not, again, throw the baby out with the bathwater. As it stands today, the spineless and indecisive President Ramaphosa will be known forever as the President who let the lights go out in South Africa.

It is time to allow the private sector to enter the onshore gas exploration and production market in South Africa. And fast.

The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR

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(Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mushrooms R Us.)

Illustration credit: iStockphoto.com

06/08/2022

𝗢𝘂𝗿𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗦: 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝟯𝟭 𝗢𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴... 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸’𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.

Shocking, moving, terrifying, surprising... These are the images of some of this week’s events around the world.

22/07/2022

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝟵𝟱% 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗬𝗣𝗢𝗫 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗦𝗘𝗫𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬

𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘅 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
Straits Times

The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday (July 21), came as World Health Organisation experts debated whether to classify the outbreak as a global health emergency, the highest alarm it can sound.

Led by scientists at Queen Mary University of London, the new paper looked at 528 confirmed infections in 16 countries, between April 27 and June 24, 2022.

"It is important to stress that monkeypox is not a s*xually transmitted infection in the traditional sense; it can be acquired through any kind of close physical contact," said first author John Thornhill, in a statement.

"However, our work suggests that most transmissions so far have been related to s*xual activity - mainly, but not exclusively, amongst men who have s*x with men," he added.

"This research study increases our understanding of the ways it is spread and the groups in which it is spreading which will aid rapid identification of new cases and allow us to offer prevention strategies."

Overall, 98 per cent of infected people were gay or bis*xual men, 41 percent had HIV and the median age was 38.

Their median number of s*x partners in the prior three months was five, and around a third were known to have visited s*x-on-site venues such as s*x parties or saunas within the previous month.

Although s*xual activity was behind most cases, the researchers stressed in a statement that the virus can be spread via any close physical contact, such as respiratory droplets and potentially through clothing and other surfaces.

Many of those infected showed symptoms not previously associated with monkeypox, including single ge***al lesions and sores on the mouth or a**s.

These are similar to those of s*xually transmitted infections (STIs) and could lead to misdiagnosis, the authors said.

"Clinical outcomes in this case series were reassuring," the authors wrote.

"Most cases were mild and self-limited, and there were no deaths. Although 13 percent of the persons were admitted to a hospital, no serious complications were reported in the majority of those admitted."

Monkeypox DNA was present in the semen of 29 out of 32 people tested, but it's still unclear whether this material is capable of transmission.

Image: People wait to receive the Monkeypox vaccine before the opening of a new mass vaccination site in Brooklyn on July 17, 2022. Photo: AFP

22/07/2022

𝗢𝘂𝗿𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

'𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗕𝗖. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁.'

Soldiers in the Myanmar military have admitted to killing, torturing and ra**ng civilians.

27/06/2022

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 ‘𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗿’, 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝘂𝗽𝘀 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

Missing ‘weapons of war’, fake intelligence reports and copious cover-ups – the tools to try to dismantle democracy are revealed in Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s final report into State Capture.

27/06/2022

𝗢𝘂𝗿𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟭 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 — 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟭𝟰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟬 — 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀.

Forensic pathologists say initial results indicate that the 21 young people — aged between 14 and 20 — who died at a party in East London at the weekend inhaled or ingested something that led to their deaths. National crime scene experts have been sent to the Eastern Cape to help with the invest...

23/06/2022

𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲_𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

𝗘.𝗨. 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗨𝗞𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗦

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰, 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲. 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀.

The decision sets Ukraine on a path toward joining the bloc, though the process can take a decade or longer complete. Russian forces advanced on a key eastern city, threatening its supply lines.

05/06/2022

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗢𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟱, 𝗮 𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟱 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀-𝗕𝗲𝗻𝘇 𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗦𝗟𝗥 𝗨𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 $𝟭𝟰𝟮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀-𝗕𝗲𝗻𝘇 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲-𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.

On May 5, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold for $142 million during an auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

25/05/2022

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗿𝘂𝘀

'𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝘆𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿. 𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀.'

In 2022, there is no business case for spyware technology. Its abuse is tainting the entire tech sector. If the industry’s big players do not step up and take a bold stand on surveillance now, it’s not only the human rights of millions of people at risk, it’s their own futures.

09/05/2022

𝗢𝘂𝗿𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗚𝗟𝗕@𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗥𝘂𝘀

'𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗨𝗗𝗔 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗗', 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗦 𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧

𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗱𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻'𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱' - 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟳𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.
By WION - Edited By: Nikhil Pandey

The disappearance of so many ships and planes in the area between Bermuda, Florida, and Puerto Rico, according to Karl Kruszelnicki, a fellow at Sydney University, has nothing to do with aliens or fire-crystals from the lost city of Atlantis.

Instead, the large number of disappearances is explained by nothing more supernatural than plain old human error, bad weather, and the fact that many planes and ships approach that part of the Atlantic Ocean in the first place.

Bermuda Triangle (also known as the 'Hodoo Sea,' 'Devil's Triangle,' 'Limbo of the Lost,' and other names) cover a wide, 700,000 square-kilometer (270,000 square-mile) expanse of ocean, but it is also a highly busy patch of sea.

According to Kruszelnicki, disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle aren't uncommon because it's a bustling stretch of sea (he points to its proximity to the United States).

In 2017, Kruszelnicki told news.com.au: "It is close to the Equator, near a wealthy part of the world – America - therefore you have a lot of traffic.According to Lloyd’s of London and the US Coastguard, the number of people that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis."

Kruszelnicki also addressed Flight 19, the most well-known of the triangle's disappearances.

Flight 19 was a five-plane flight that took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 5, 1945, with 14 crew members on board.

The TBM Avenger torpedo bombers of the US Navy were on a two-hour normal training flight when they lost communication with the base. The planes vanished, along with their crews, and no debris was ever discovered.

A PBM-Mariner seaplane despatched on a search-and-rescue mission to locate Flight 19 also vanished, according to allegations, as did the 13 crew men onboard.