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The renowned theoretical physicists hosts “Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places,” a new short film available on the streaming service Curiosity Stream. The film follows Hawking around the universe as he “travels” in a computer-generated imagery spacecraft, giving the audience a peek into simulations of a black hole and Gliese 832c, an earth-like planet outside our solar system that scientists believe may be able to support life. Stephen Hawking has said it before and he’ll say it again: If extraterrestrials call, do not answer ― at least, not without careful consideration. And Gliese 832c isn’t even the closet possible second-Earth. In August, scientists announced that Proxima b, a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri — the nearest known star to our sun — has a temperature that could allow liquid water and is possibly habitable.

But if we ever get a signal from any of these places, Hawking warns that we shouldn’t be too eager to say hello. It’s an idea Hawking has expressed numerous times before — typically using human beings as an example of why we shouldn’t trust other intelligent life. “We should be wary of answering back,” he says in the film, according to USAToday. “Meeting an advanced civilization could be like Native Americans encountering Columbus — that didn’t turn out so well.” “I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.” It’s an idea Hawking has expressed numerous times before — typically using human beings as an example of why we shouldn’t trust other intelligent life. “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet,” he told The Times of London in 2010. Well, we’re convinced. NASA, we really hope you’re listening.

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Congress is on the verge of officially legalizing industrial hemp, with a measure that would create a legal distinction between the popular crop and other, intoxicating strains of marijuana. In a statement Thursday, leaders of the U.S. Senate and House agricultural committees reported that they’d reached a tentative agreement on the 2018 Farm Bill. Included in that larger piece of legislation are a number of provisions that would allow for the commercial cultivation, research and development of industrial hemp. A vote is expected by the end of the year. Under the new farm bill, hemp would be defined as any part of a marijuana plant with a THC concentration of 0.3 percent or less. Hemp is a variety of cannabis that contains very low amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana. While strains of cannabis with higher THC can get people high, hemp does not. There are a few remaining procedural hurdles that could threaten the legislation, but for the moment, the broader farm bill and its hemp measures look likely to pass, said Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, an advocacy group. “We’ve had five years and what we’ve seen is that there are a lot of people who are wanting to grow this crop..

It is typically grown for use in food, fuel, textiles and other applications. Since 1970, however, federal law has classified all cannabis plants as Schedule I substances, alongside drugs like heroin, LSD and a number of deadly synthetic opioids. “The hemp part of the bill has never really been in dispute,” said Steenstra. “I feel very optimistic about this.” In 2014, Congress passed a farm bill renewal that allowed for pilot programs and research on hemp. Over the past few years, hemp has begun to develop into its own thriving industry. Cultivation operations quickly sprouted up across the U.S., and in 2018, more than 3,500 licenses were issued in 23 states, leading to over 77,000 acres of hemp being planted, according to Vote Hemp. In 2015, just 9,650 acres of hemp had been planted in 15 states, Steenstra added. That explosive growth has helped convince skeptical lawmakers that the longstanding prohibition on hemp is no longer defensible. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), once a vocal opponent of hemp legalization, has since become a leading advocate for the initiative.

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“We had an unexpected visitor last night at the facility,” California Highway Patrol’s Donner Pass division wrote on Facebook on Nov. 18. Police in California got a surprise when a bear stood up on two legs, opened the door to a facility and then wandered in as if it worked there. The footage shows the bear step into the commercial vehicle enforcement facility in Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, then drop down to all fours. It wanders past some vending machines and out of camera range. A few moments later, the bear casually strolls back out. Two police officers follow.  “Our bear friend made a return visit,” the department wrote. On Saturday, the bear was back, caught on camera in the facility’s parking lot. Bears will seek to avoid confrontation with humans. If encountered, always leave them an escape route.

 Bears in the area are searching for food for up to 20 hours per day as they prepare for hibernation, the United States Forest Service noted on its website. Bears often hibernate in large hollow trees 40 to 50 feet off the ground. Because bears (and other animals) are attracted to anything edible or scented, improper storage of human food and other scented items and improper disposal of refuse is a leading cause of human-bear conflict. Store food in bear-proof canisters or bear-proof lockers if provided. Bears are omnivores. A typical wild bear diet consists of berries, plants, nuts, roots, honey, honeycomb, insects, larvae, carrion and small mammals. As winter approaches, bears will forage for food storing enough fat to sustain them through hibernation. Bears that are accustomed to people can become too bold and lose their fear of humans. To avoid this behavior, do not let bears become habituated to human sources of food. U.S. Forest Service
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Forest Supervisor’s Office
35 College Drive
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

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Cannabis industry insiders are predicting a sales “high” as pot smokers stock up on supplies before the Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday is supposed to be all about turkey, but Wednesday is apparently all about THC. “We expect this year’s holiday week to be awesome since so many Americans are becoming more open to cannabis consumption across the USA, particularly in California since legalization in January.” “Last year, Eaze saw a 98 percent increase in deliveries on Green Wednesday compared to a typical Wednesday in 2017,” Shriavi told HuffPost. Shiran Shiravi, the director of consumer communications at Eaze, a company that delivers cannabis products in California, expects to handle nearly double the doobie deliveries of a typical Wednesday, based on past results. That spike comes with a risk of shortages in states like Massachusetts, which on Tuesday will become the first state east of the Mississippi where pot is legal, according to the Boston Globe. “Obviously there is an immense demand, and we’ve been preparing for a while to help meet this. Sam Barber of Cultivate, a dispensary in Leicester, told WCVB TV it’s possible that demand will initially outpace the supply. We can’t make any guarantees about how long our supplies will last.

Jessie Gibson, the co-founder and VP of Marketing for Greenery Map, a cannabis search engine and app, says shortages are a fact of life in his business for the short term. Some industry insiders say shortages and long lines at dispensaries are possible even in states like California where marijuana has been legally available since the first of the year.  “I think that the extent of the shortages will continue, but it will be market specific. Somewhere that is recently legal doesn’t have the same supply as let’s say California, but the demand will be very high. “We are seeing shortages every day these days as the interest continues to grow, and as cannabis sheds its stigma.” Others like Hannah Davis of Mammoth Distribution, which distributes cannabis products all over California, believes retailers are prepared for the lift in sales. “We expect sales to double this week, but we’re seeing our retailers stocking up so, hopefully, it’s not an issue,” she said. “I imagine that we will see these shortages for a number of years while the producers catch up with the ever-growing demand.” “I do expect people to make larger purchases to share with friends.” And The real question is, with a rise in cannabis sales for Thanksgiving, will we see a decrease in leftovers?”

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Anna Tew was planning to be a zombie for the haunting holiday and spent $3 on a pair of fake teeth for the costume. The zombie teeth attached to her regular chompers with adhesive, but she became unglued when she realized the fake teeth were stuck. It’s not Halloween yet, but one Alabama woman has already had the fright of her life. I was trying to remove them then because they were just tight,” Tew told WKRG TV. “They wouldn’t budge. I even took a pair of wire clippers and cut the tips off of those.” Tew couldn’t eat or drink because of the fake teeth but tried drinking hot coffee hoping the heat would loosen the glue. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work. I drooled hot coffee, I guess you could say,” she told McClatchy News. “They wouldn’t budge. I’m panicking. Of course I’d had a few panic attacks by this point. I tried to sleep, wasn’t no sleeping.”

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American Airlines: An airline employee “inadvertently fell asleep” in the forward cargo hold of a plane, and remained there for the duration of a flight from Kansas City to Chicago. “The flight subsequently took off with the team member in the cargo hold, which was heated and pressurized,” American Airlines said in a statement. The individual, a male employee of Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group, was working an American Airlines flight on Oct. 27 when he apparently fell asleep in the forward cargo hold of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The flight landed “safely” at the Chicago O’Hare International airport at approximately 7 a.m., when the employee was discovered upon arrival to the gate. A spokeswoman for the Chicago Police Department (CPD) told HuffPost, The Piedmont employee, whose name wasn’t released, allegedly indicated to Chicago police that he had consumed “several alcoholic beverages.

“Our top priority is ensuring the well-being of the Piedmont employee,” the airline stated. “He did not request any medical attention upon arrival in Chicago, and we are grateful that he did not sustain any injuries.” CPD said they questioned the employee, identified as a 27-year-old man, at the airport before arrangements were made for him to return to Kansas City. American Airlines confirmed in an email to HuffPost that the individual is a ramp employee for Piedmont Airlines and that his job duties include “loading and unloading bags.” He was not injured and not charged in the incident, police say. At the time of the incident, the employee was staffing the forward cargo hold, which did not contain cargo for that flight since there were only 80 passengers of the 160 available seats present, American said. The American team is very concerned about this serious situation, and we are reviewing what transpired with our Piedmont and Kansas City colleagues,” the company stated.

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“Chubbs” is estimated to be 15 feet long and he’s back. The 15-foot-long alligator made a return appearance last week, lumbering through the Buffalo Creek Golf Course in Palmetto, Florida, then plopping down on the green. “Me and my dad were about to hit off the tee on a par 3 and we saw him lying right on the green.” “He was a beast,” golfer Sage Stryczny, who captured the footage, told Tampa NBC station WFLA. Chubbs became a viral sensation in 2016 when similar footage surfaced, making the gator something of a tourist attraction ― and perhaps course hazard ― at Buffalo Creek.

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A Japanese man had the wedding of his dreams to a woman who doesn’t exist. Till tech do us part? Akihiko Kondo points out that he never has to worry about his virtual wife cheating or dying. Earlier this month, 35-year-old Kondo got hitched to Hatsune Miku, a singing hologram that uses a voice synthesizer to perform in sold-out shows worldwide, according to “Inside Edition.”  “For mother, it wasn’t something to celebrate,” Kondo told the Japan Times. Despite her fame, Kondo’s family didn’t approve of her. Not one family member was among the 40 guests who attended the ceremony, which was estimated to cost $18,000. Of course, Miku wasn’t actually there either, except in the form of a stuffed toy, she’s  just a virtual creation Kondo confessed.

“I’ve been thinking about her every day.” he said. Kondo insists his love is as true blue as the color of Miku’s fake hair. “I never cheated on her; I’ve always been in love with Miku-san.” “I’m in love with the whole concept of Hatsune Miku, but I got married to the Miku of my house,” he said. Miku doesn’t exactly live with Kondo either ― except as a talking hologram floating in a $2,800 desktop device in his Tokyo home. It should be noted that the marriage isn’t legally binding in any aspect. Also, TheGamer.com notes that Gatebox, the company that created Miku, is not expecting the virtual vixen to remain monogamous. Although Kondo’s parents are holding out hope he might settle down with a human, not a hologram, he told the Japan Times that’s not going to happen. Two-dimensional characters can’t cheat, age or die, he said. “I’m not seeking these in real women. It’s impossible.” TheGamer.com company has already issued more than 3,700 marriage certificates to people who want to wed a hologram.

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Several bright objects were seen traveling quickly in the skies off the coast of Ireland. Several commercials airline pilots reported a series of fast-moving unidentified objects in the skies off the west coast of Ireland last week in an incident now under investigation. The incident began when a British Airways pilot flying from Montreal to London’s Heathrow Airport contacted Shannon Air Traffic Control in Ireland to ask if there were any military aircraft in the vicinity. One pilot said the object or objects were traveling at “astronomical” speeds of at least Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound, The Irish Times reported. The pilot replied that two objects had approached on the left and then “rapidly” veered toward the north. “We saw a bright light and it just disappeared at a very high speed,” she said. “Glad it wasn’t just me,” the Norwegian Air pilot flying from Stewart Airport in New York to Shannon, Ireland said.A Virgin Airlines flight from Orlando to Manchester, UK, then reported “two bright lights” that “seemed to bank over to the right and then climb away at high speed.”  The pilot described “a meteor or another object making some kind of reentry, appears to be multiple objects following the same sort of trajectory, very bright from where we were.”

The British Airways flight was a Boeing 787, the Virgin aircraft was a Boeing 747 and the Norwegian Air flight was a Boeing 737, The Irish Examiner reported. Very interesting report on Shannon high level Friday 9 November at 0630z with multiple aircraft with reported sightings of a UFO over County Kerry. A spokesperson for Shannon Airport told the broadcaster that there would be no comment until an investigation is completed. According to the BBC, the Irish Aviation Authority is now investigating the reports of “unusual air activity.” At least one expert said he knows what the object was ― and it wasn’t a UFO. David Moore, head of Astronomy Ireland, told the Irish Times that he was “1,000 percent sure” it was a meteorite and had received at least four reports of a fireball from people on the country’s west coast. “We had some reports of a massive fireball this morning!” Astronomy Ireland wrote on Friday. That report said it was moving “quite slow” and noted that it “broke up into several pieces.” His organization also noted the sighting at the time on Facebook. In response to a question about the UFO sighting, the organization wrote that a fireball breaking up “really does look like a fleet of aircraft/UFO’s (sic) flying by.”

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Fred Flintstone joined celebrities in trouble with the law when a sheriff’s deputy in Pasco County, Florida, pulled him over Nov. 4 for speeding in a Wesley Chapel housing development. He was nabbed in a Smart car customized to look like the foot-powered caveman car seen in the 1960s cartoon series, according to local local station WPTV. Police identified the driver as Mr. Fred Flinstone (sic), and said his real name is Don Swartz.

That’s a Yabba Dabba Don’t! The sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post that Flinstone (aka Swartz) “became irritated” after being issued a speeding citation, the barefoot driver “became unruly” and had to be detained, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said. He was later released with a notice to appear in court. “This is what Intelligence-Led Policing looked like in the stone age,” said the post, which included pictures of the vehicle and a barefoot driver dressed in Flintstones garb. The post jokes that the prehistoric Smart car was seized and is now part of the police fleet.

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