Latest news with #Wardell
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Science
- Irish Independent
Irish researcher joins €1.7bn hunt for Einstein's ‘ripples in space-time'
This work is part of the European Space Agency's €1.74bn Lisa (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission to deploy the first gravitational wave detector in space to detect the ripples. Gravitational waves have opened up a new way of observing the universe, according to said Barry Wardell, associate professor of mathematics and statistics at UCD. Prof Wardell has been awarded a €2.5m Advanced European Research Council Grant to study gravitational waves within the Lisa mission. Until recently, scientists' understanding of the universe came mostly from light – in its visible, radio or X-ray forms. The problem with relying on this, according to Prof Wardell, is that light cannot access all regions of space, especially near black holes, or the moments right after the Big Bang. 'Gravitational waves, by contrast, travel virtually untouched across the cosmos, carrying information about the most extreme, energetic events in existence,' he said. 'This lets us peer into environments we could never reach with telescopes alone.' By operating in space, the Lisa detector will be far away from all possible interfering 'noise' on Earth. 'We will be able to 'hear' signals from some of the most extreme events in the cosmos, including black holes the size of our Sun spiralling into supermassive black holes millions of times larger,' Prof Wardell said. For almost 100 years, scientists could only assume that gravitational waves existed, without having observed them directly, relying on Einstein's theories. They were first detected in 2015 in a dramatic discovery that led to the three researchers responsible together receiving the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Studying gravitational waves can help scientists answer questions like how galaxies and black holes form and develop over time. Prof Wardell will be working as part of an international network of scientists. 'What was the universe like in its earliest moments, before light could even travel freely?' he said. 'Gravitational waves are like messengers from those inaccessible corners of time and space.' Getting answers is a highly complex challenge that requires the use of advanced mathematics, supercomputers, and AI. 'While Einstein's predictions have held up for over a century, we've never been able to probe them in environments like merging black holes before,' Prof Wardell said. 'Gravitational wave detections could eventually reveal where his theory breaks down, pointing us toward new physics that might unify gravity with quantum mechanics – one of the biggest unsolved problems in science.' Yet how is all this relevant to our earthbound lives? 'Gravitational waves might sound far removed from everyday life,' Prof Wardell said. 'But even for ordinary people, they matter more than it first seems. 'This is a story of curiosity: our drive to understand where we come from, how the universe works, and what fundamental forces shape our reality.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arrest warrant issued for man accused of animal abuse after missing court hearing
Content warning: This article contains details about animal cruelty and violence. Please read with caution. MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) – The man accused of abusing a puppy earlier this year had an arrest warrant issued Thursday after he missed his court hearing earlier the same morning. Cody Wardell, 29, was arrested in March after he allegedly threw his dog off a raised porch, held the animal and repeatedly struck her. The puppy was then tied under the porch of his home. Judge Scott Burrill issued the warrant, ruling there is no 48-hour grace period for Wardell's arrest. When he is apprehended, he will be brought before the judge as soon as it's practicable, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Fisher told WesternSlopeNow. Wardell's bond was set at $1020 cash-only for his charge of cruelty to animals. His other bond for possession of a controlled substance was set at $1010. Wardell relinquished the dog to Mesa County Animal Control. He allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he struck the animal. The pup – Azalea – had to have immediate surgery and ultimately lost her back leg. Grand Rivers Humane Society coordinated her surgery. The shelter also started the Azalea's Fund, which will help other dogs and cats who have high medical costs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Popular Space Strategy Game, Galactic Civilizations IV v3.0 Hyperlane Update Announced, Franchise Sale on Steam
The Turn-based space strategy game sees a revamp of galaxy generation, fleet management, computer AI, and much more PLYMOUTH, Mich., May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Popular space strategy game, Galactic Civilizations IV is receiving a major overhaul of core game mechanics, map generation and computer opponents in Galactic Civilizations IV v3.0 Hyperlane Update which releases on June 12, 2025, free for all players. To celebrate the announcement, Stardock has put the entire franchise on sale this week as well as provided updates to the previous editions in the series. For Galactic Civilizations IV v3.0 Hyperlane Update, players can look forward to: Hyperlanes. One of the defining features of the game is the free-form movement of ships on the map. Galactic Civilizations IV keeps the freeform movement but also now generates maps where groups of stars are connected by hyperlanes that drastically increase unit speed between stars. "The Galactic Civilizations games have always stood out because players can take their fleets and move them freely on the map. However, players have requested having map generation where groups of stars are very distant from each other within a given sector," said Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock Entertainment. "The challenge there is that players also don't want to spend dozens of turns moving through the void of deep space, Hyperlanes let us have it both ways." Fleet Supply. To decrease micromanagement as well as make starship quality more distinct, the game now adds the concept of a civilization-wide fleet supply limit which can be increased by technology, events and other mechanics. "The goal here is to make the path to victory not be dependent on who can put together the largest blob of units. While mass fleet sizes are still possible, players have to earn that by making that part of their strategy as opposed to it being the default and only path," said Wardell. User Experience Revamp. While not a specific feature, Version 3.0 includes hundreds of small updates and improvements across the board. From new, higher resolution textures for ships to balance improvements to the new Civilization data screens which let players get insights into their civilizations. "Over the past year we've received thousands of requests and suggestions from the fanbase. The Hyperlane Update was our opportunity to integrate as many of these as we could into a single huge update," said Wardell. The Hyperlane Update is now available as a Preview build on Steam with the final release scheduled for early June. In addition, starting today, the entire franchise is on sale on Steam. For more information on Galactic Civilizations IV, check out Galactic Civilizations IV is available now on Steam, Epic Games Store, or directly at Click HERE for Assets About StardockStardock is a pioneer in the strategy gaming genre headquartered in Plymouth, Mich. that has pioneered strategy and simulation games since 1993. Starting with Galactic Civilizations and later adding Sins of a Solar Empire, Ashes of the Singularity, The Political Machine, and Elemental the company continues to push the boundaries of innovation in the strategy, simulation arena. Learn more at Media Contact:Colin ReganStardock_Media@ Partners View original content: SOURCE Stardock Entertainment Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Montreal Gazette
13-05-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Fact check: Did the Mount Royal cross turn purple when Pope Francis died?
By Montrealers are asking: Did the lights adorning the Mount Royal cross go purple to mark the death of Pope Francis? The cross certainly looked purple in photos posted to Facebook and Reddit on April 21, the night of the pope's death. But city officials insist the lights stayed white, making Pope John Paul II's death in 2005 the last time the cross was lit purple after a pope died. In 2010, the City of Montreal mandated the cross remain white year-round and would no longer change colour to mark the deaths of pontiffs or kings. The rule was an effort to not 'trivialize' the heritage site, according to city spokesperson Camille Bégin, and followed a recommendation from the Table de concertation du Mont-Royal. So why did Montrealers see a purple cross when Pope Francis died? The Gazette headed up to Mount Royal and noticed the cross wasn't white, but it wasn't quite purple either. Some bulbs shone magenta, others turquoise. Was the cross purple that night? Sort of — but it always is The City of Montreal maintains that the lights on the Mount Royal cross were not changed to mark Pope Francis's death on April 21. However, they admitted the photos shared on social media were confusing. 'I'm very puzzled by this photo,' Bégin said after being shown photos of the cross looking purple. When pressed for an explanation, the city consulted its technicians. Upon investigation, city representatives found that some of the LED bulbs changed colour due to wear and tear. 'We're currently looking into scenarios to replace the lighting system,' Bégin wrote. According to Chris Wardell, a lighting technician for Cirque du Soleil, this is a common problem. Colour-changing LEDs, like the bulbs on the cross, combine three different coloured diodes to create white light or other colours, Wardell explained. The standard LED colour diode combination is red, green and blue, known as RGB. Over time, the RGB circuits can get 'broken, burnt or old,' and stop working. This changes the colour of light the bulb emits. 'If you have no red but you have blue and green, you'll get a teal. If you have only red and blue, you'll get a purple or a pink, depending on how much blue or how much red,' Wardell said. 'It's about mixing those three colours.' Wardell said LED bulbs can last tens of thousands of hours, but harsh weather may shorten the lifespan of the colour diodes. 'If you get ice and moisture and then it freezes over the wintertime, that's going to be damage, and wear and tear.' Multiple cities, multiple explanations Montreal is not the first city where there were inadvertent changes of colours with LED lights. In 2022, street lights in Vancouver turned purple because of a manufacturing defect in the bulbs' coating, according to the CBC, creating a 'black light effect' on Vancouver streets. The same has happened across the United States, including in Florida, Utah, Texas and Massachusetts. According to a report in Scientific American, a peeled coating may have caused the bulbs to turn purple. Isabelle Lessard, who worked for two decades as a street lighting engineer for Montreal, said there could be multiple explanations for the colourful bulbs on the Mount Royal cross. She said variations in colour can happen due to differences in the colour rendering index (CRI). If the bulbs have different CRI levels, they can have different hues. Lessard said Wardell's theory about broken RGB circuits makes sense for colour-changing LED lights, such as the ones on the cross. Changing rules about the colourful cross After lights were first added to the cross in 1924, Bégin recalled, the city would occasionally replace the white bulbs with coloured ones to mark special events: purple for the death of a pope, a colour of mourning in the Catholic Church; blue for the 1975 St-Jean-Baptiste celebrations; and yellow for the 1960 Grand Mission, a diocesan celebration in the city. The old bulbs were replaced in 1992 with an LED fibre-optic system, allowing the cross's colour to be changed without manually swapping bulbs, which Bégin said used to take two hours. The new system was used twice: the cross was lit red during an AIDS awareness march, and purple following the death of John Paul II. In 2010, the Table de concertation du Mont-Royal passed a resolution that the cross remain permanently lit in white and that no further colour changes be authorized to mark events. The group argued that changing the cross's colour risked trivializing its symbolic importance and that a strict rule would prevent 'inevitable dissatisfaction resulting from any refusals,' Bégin wrote. Even though the cross is a religious symbol, Bégin said the decision was unrelated to the laicity of the state. Until recently, the Mount Royal heritage website indicated that the Mount Royal cross turns purple when a pope dies. Bégin noted this 'didn't help' the confusion about the cross's colour following Pope Francis's death. She said the website has since been corrected. City spokesperson Julie Bélanger said the 2010 rule change was not widely announced. 'Nobody knew in the city. And for 15 years after that, the website about the cross still reflected the fact that the cross was supposed to change colour when a pope died,' she said. Société St-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal president Marie-Anne Alepin only learned during an interview with The Gazette that the rule had been changed. She said she wishes the city had been more transparent about the new protocol. 'It's just a matter of informing people and launching a public consultation,' she said. Alepin recognizes why the city changed its rule. At the same time, she said traditions such as changing the lights purple are a part of the cross's heritage. '(The cross) represents the francophonie, our history, our baggage. It represents Montreal,' she said.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Twitter reacts to Steph Curry's 56-point performance vs. Magic
On Thursday night at the Kia Center in Orlando, Steph Curry did Steph Curry things against the Magic. The Golden State Warriors All-Star point guard caught fire in typical Curry fashion on his way to a blazing hot 56 point performance. In a new season-high, Curry tallied 56 points on 16-of-25 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. On his way to 56 points, Curry drilled 12 3-pointers, including a deep heave from beyond half court to end the first half. Behind Curry's sizzling effort in Orlando, the Warriors overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to secure a 121-115 win over the Magic to extend their win streak to five games. Following Curry's 56-point night in Orlando, the NBA community on Twitter exploded with different reactions. Here's a look at what fans, analysts and players were saying on social media on Thursday night. 🤩 STEPH LEADS IN SPECTACULAR FASHION 🤩🍳 56 PTS🍳 12 3PM5 straight wins for Golden State in a HISTORIC outing for Chef Curry! — NBA (@NBA) February 28, 2025 56 Points. 12 Curry, unreal ⚡️ — Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 28, 2025 Warriors guard Wardell Stephen Curry with 56 points, 12 3-pointers and MVP chants in win in Orlando. Lost in the Curry display is 41 points by Paolo Banchero for Orlando. — Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 28, 2025 This is a night to thank the Minnesota Timberwolves for selecting Rubio and Flynn ahead of Stephen Curry in 2009. — Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) February 28, 2025 Stephen Curry on February 27thIn 2013 — In 2025 —54 PTS 56 PTS11 3PM 12 3PM64 FG% 64 FG%100 FT% 100 FT% — Extra Muse (@extra_muse) February 28, 2025 Stephen Curry drops 56 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL & 12 3PM‼️as the Warriors get the 121-115 WIN over the Magic CHEF CURRY COOKED 🔥🤯 — Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) February 28, 2025 Most games with 9+ 3-pointers made in NBA history:45 — Steph Curry14 — Damian Lillard12 — Klay ThompsonUnbelievable 🤯 — NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 28, 2025 STEPH CURRY TONIGHT🔥56 Points16/25 Shooting12/19 Threes (ORL: 11/28)Outscored ORL 22-21 in 3rd quarter9 YEARS AGO TODAY46 Points 14/24 Shooting 12/16 Threes 38-Foot Game Winner — (@Ballislife) February 28, 2025 STEPH WAS IN GOD MODE TONIGHT 🔥56 PTS16-25 FG12 3PMCurry has made 12+ threes in a game 3 TIMES 🤯 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 28, 2025 Steph Curry ever since the Warriors got Butler 😂 — NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) February 28, 2025 Steph. Curry. — StatMuse (@statmuse) February 28, 2025 Yeah this Steph record is never getting touched lol — Steph Curry Muse (@StephMuse_) February 28, 2025 Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Stephen Curry was 'due' for a halfcourt triple like the one he made before halftime tonight.'One of the many things I love about Steph, he always shoots the halfcourt shot. He doesn't care about his percentage.' More: — Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) February 28, 2025 First crazy Steph game of the season - the Warriors are back! — Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 28, 2025 Good job, Steph 🍊56 points for the Chef and the W — life is beautiful for the Warriors 👨🍳 — ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2025 I hope Steph makes everyone on this roster give him 20% of their wages. Like a medieval warlord. — Sam Esfandiari (@samesfandiari) February 28, 2025 Career games with 9+ made 3s:Steph: 45Dame: 14Klay: 12Nobody else in double digits. — Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) February 28, 2025 Steph Curry's 56-point game tonight objectively was one of the most impressive individual performances I've ever covered in person in 25 years across all sports -- in the pros, colleges or high school. In the second half, it was a shock when he missed a shot. He made the… — Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) February 28, 2025 Steph Curry is still the best show in the NBA, man. Every shot is a circus shot. Every heater is must-watch TV. One of the greatest ever. Will never be another like him. — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 28, 2025 It never gets old; Steph the greatest entertainer ever! — Joe Shasky (@ButcherBoy415) February 28, 2025 Steph Curry is a god of basketball. — Sean Jordan (@BaySean) February 28, 2025 'STEPH CURRY FOR THREE' — Hater Report (@HaterReport_) February 28, 2025 Steph MVP chants on the road — Smiley (@30GotNext) February 28, 2025 There is nothing in any sport comparable to a Steph Curry heater. This is unbelievable. — Gray (@propbetguru) February 28, 2025 Steph Curry's final line in Orlando56 points *16-of-25 on FG*12-of-19 on 3s*12-of-12 on FTsHe flipped the game with 22-point 3Q and closed it with crunch time flurry. His 14th career 50-point game and 26th career game with 10+ 3s. Nobody else has more than nine. — Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 28, 2025 This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: NBA Twitter reacts to Steph Curry's 56-point performance vs. Magic
