A Venezuela como exemplo do que pode ser um suicídio nacional

Não conheço o articulista, nem percebo bem o nível de discordância que tem com o atual regime venezuelano, mas eu gostaria de tomar algumas das coisas que diz como referentes ao período antes e depois de Chávez (e extensivo a outras realidades nacionais), como por exemplo esta frase [censurei partes para afeiçoar o texto ao meu propósito - o de imputar-lhe uma mais ampla aplicabilidade]:  

"No, national suicide is a much longer process – not product of any one moment. But instead one bad idea, upon another, upon another and another and another and another and the wheels that move the country began to grind slower and slower; rust covering their once shiny facades. [...] Hate, as a political strategy. Law, used to divide and conquer. Regulation used to punish. [...]. Corruption bleeding out the lifeblood in drips, filling the buckets of a successive line of bureaucrats before they are destroyed, only to be replaced time and again." 

 
The Suicide of Venezuela

Espaço em vermelho e em azul

Astronomy Picture of the Day, 2016 April 13

Orion in Red and Blue Image Credit & Copyright: David Lindemann

 

Explanation: When did Orion become so flashy? This colorful rendition of part of the constellation of Orion comes from red light emitted by hydrogen and sulfur (SII), and blue-green light emitted by oxygen (OIII). Hues on the featured image were then digitally reassigned to be indicative of their elemental origins -- but also striking to the human eye. The breathtaking composite was painstakingly composed from hundreds of images which took nearly 200 hours to collect. Pictured, Barnard's Loop, across the image bottom, appears to cradle interstellar constructs including the intricate Orion Nebula seen just right of center. The Flame Nebula can also be quickly located, but it takes a careful eye to identify the slight indentation of the dark Horsehead Nebula. As to Orion's flashiness -- a leading explanation for the origin of Barnard's Loop is a supernova blast that occurred about two million years ago.

Lá distante, sózinha de tudo...

Astronomy Picture of the Day,2016 April 7

Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte Image Credit: ESO, VST/Omegacam Local Group Survey

 

Explanation: Named for the three astronomers instrumental in its discovery and identification, Wolf - Lundmark - Melotte (WLM) is a lonely dwarf galaxy. Seen toward the mostly southern constellation Cetus, about 3 million light-years from the Milky Way, it is one of the most remote members of our local galaxy group. In fact, it may never have interacted with any other local group galaxy. Still, telltale pinkish star forming regions and hot, young, bluish stars speckle the isolated island universe. Older, cool yellowish stars fade into the small galaxy's halo, extending about 8,000 light-years across. This sharp portrait of WLM was captured by the 268-megapixel OmegaCAM widefield imager and survey telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory.

Interações

Astronomy Picture of the Day, 2016 April 3

 

Close-up of the Bubble Nebula
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Legacy Archive; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt

Explanation: It's the bubble versus the cloud. NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula, is being pushed out by the stellar wind of massive central star BD+602522. Next door, though, lives a giant molecular cloud, visible to the right. At this place in space, an irresistible force meets an immovable object in an interesting way. The cloud is able to contain the expansion of the bubble gas, but gets blasted by the hot radiation from the bubble's central star. The radiation heats up dense regions of the molecular cloud causing it to glow. The Bubble Nebula, featured here in scientifically mapped colors to bring up contrast, is about 10 light-years across and part of a much larger complex of stars and shells. The Bubble Nebula can be seen with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Queen of Aethiopia (Cassiopeia).

Um destino para umas futuras férias

Astronomy Picture of the Day, 2016 April 1

Europa: Discover Life Under the Ice
Poster Illustration Credit: NASA, JPL, Visions of the Future

Explanation: Looking for an interplanetary vacation destination? Consider a visit to Europa, one of the Solar System's most tantalizing moons. Ice-covered Europa follows an elliptical path in its 85 hour orbit around our ruling gas giant Jupiter. Heat generated from strong tidal flexing by Jupiter's gravity keeps Europa's salty subsurface ocean liquid all year round. That also means even in the absence of sunlight Europa has energy that could support simple life forms. Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to make reservations at restaurants on Europa, where you might enjoy a dish of the local extreme shrimp. But you can always choose another destination from Visions of the Future.