This Just In...the thread for news.

[Ramplate]

Monster Galaxy Cluster 'El Gordo' Packs Mass of 2 Quadrillion Suns

AUSTIN, Texas — The largest cluster of galaxies seen yet in the early universe, a giant that astronomers have dubbed "El Gordo," could one day reveal secrets about the invisible dark matter that fills the universe, researchers said.

El Gordo — which means "the fat one" in Spanish — is officially known as ACT-CL J0102-4915 and "is located more than 7 billion light-years from Earth, at a time when the universe was half its current age," study co-author John Patrick Hughes at Rutgers University told SPACE.com. The universe is about 13.7 billion years old.

The monster galaxy cluster has mass about 2 quadrillion (that's 2 followed by 15 zeroes) times that of the sun, making it "the most massive known cluster in the distant universe."

A galaxy cluster behemoth

Galaxy clusters form through mergers of smaller groups of galaxies. These events depend on the amount of dark matter and dark energy in the universe, and thus could shed light on these enigmas. [See the El Gordo galaxy cluster]

Dark energy seems to make up 73 percent of all the mass and energy in the universe, and is driving the accelerating expansion of the universe. Unseen and as-yet-unidentified dark matter makes up about 23 percent of all the matter and energy in the universe — scientists know it exists because of the gravitational effects it has on galaxies. The regular matter that makes up humans, planets and stars constitutes only 4 percent of the universe.

El Gordo was discovered using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in space and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope in Chile. Its Spanish nickname is a nod to the Chilean connection.

The scientists detailed their findings today (Jan. 10) at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society here during a presentation that included a separate announcement of the discovery of the most distant galaxy cluster ever seen in the early universe.

El Gordo, a hot galaxy group

Gas in El Gordo can reach super-high temperatures of nearly 360 million degrees Fahrenheit (200 million degrees Celsius), based on X-rays collected by Chandra and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile.

"This cluster is the most massive, the hottest, and gives off the most X-rays of any known cluster at this distance or beyond," said study lead author Felipe Menanteau of Rutgers University.

This heat, as well as the fact that galaxies within the cluster are concentrated in two distinct groups, suggests El Gordo is the site of a violent merger between two galaxy clusters.

"Galaxies are moving within the cluster at speeds of typically 3 million miles per hour," Hughes said.

Although a cluster of El Gordo's size and distance is extremely rare, it does fit within the standard Big Bang model of cosmology. This suggests the universe is composed predominantly of dark matter and dark energy, and began with a Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago.

"Gigantic galaxy clusters like this are just what we were aiming to find," Hughes said. "We want to see if we understand how these extreme objects form using the best models of cosmology that are currently available."

Future research can seek to model how dark matter separates from the gas in El Gordo, Hughes said. This could yield key details about dark matter's nature.

[Tolkien]

...and I bet there's some religious nut out there already claiming that there's no intelligent life in any of those galaxies... lol.

[Deexan]

So that's what those jerks in Madrid were calling me while I was enjoying my Big Mac.

[Ramplate]

"Urine Vandal Slut" was sentenced to 28 years, let's hope he serves most of that.
Possible parole in 9 years.

[Fanible]

Originally Posted by Ramplate

"Urine Vandal Slut" was sentenced to 28 years, let's hope he serves most of that.
Possible parole in 9 years.

Who?

I did Google search and your post is the only one that comes up with such a name.

[Alien]

Originally Posted by Fanible

Who?

I did Google search and your post is the only one that comes up with such a name.

I just did that Google search, it seemed to suject that Google cached the post 3 days ago... Is Google magic?

[thebtskink]

Jan Van der Sloot?

[Ramplate]

Joran - yeah that guy.

[Ramplate]

Hikers find severed head in bag under Hollywood sign

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hikers found a severed human head in a bag below the iconic Hollywood sign in the hills above Los Angeles on Tuesday, prompting a search in the area for an accompanying body, police said.

Two female hikers were walking nine dogs when they found what police said appears to be the head of a man. It was located off a trail near the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood Hills, a popular recreation and tourist area that is home to a 53-mile network of trails, equestrian paths and fire roads.

"Two dogs were playing with it, and that's when the dog walkers looked closer and realized it was a human head," Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Karen Rayner said.

The women called park rangers immediately upon finding the head in a bag, Rayner said. Rangers then called the police.

Police believe the severed head had not been at the site for a long time, based in part on the fact that there were no animal bites on it, Rayner said.

Police used cadaver dogs to assist in the search for further human remains until dusk, when they called off the investigation until daylight returns. The crime scene is being guarded by police.

The coroner's department will pick up the severed head later in the evening.

The Hollywood sign on Mount Lee above Los Angeles originally read "Hollywoodland" and was created to promote a housing development in 1923. The last few letters deteriorated in the late 1940s and the part that remained was restored in 1978.

===========

[Alien]

It's weird how that still sort of sounds like a tourist information advert. "Yes, they found a severed human head, but did you know there is a network of over 53-miles of trails, equestrian paths and fire roads? What will you find?"

And that thing about Hollywoodland, I didn't know that. I thought that was just LA Noire's name for Hollywood coz Vice City, Liberty City, San Andreas etc.

[Ramplate]

The sign has an interesting history.
I'm surprised hikers found something up there - access is mostly restricted from what I have heard.

Not the first time hikers found something up there though
Actress Peg Entwistle took a leap off the letter H in 1932

[Deexan]

Maybe somebody was just dumping the props from Se7en.

[Ramplate]

More Parts

Hand found in LA park where human head discovered

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles investigators found a human hand Wednesday in the Hollywood wilderness park where a severed head in a plastic bag was discovered by dog walkers, and the search continued for other body parts.

The hand was discovered in Bronson Canyon as dozens of police officers, including homicide investigators, combed the brush along a winding trail a few miles below the Hollywood sign.

A coroner's cadaver dog found the hand about 50 yards (45 meters) from where the head was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The remains are believed to come from the same man. Wild animals in the park may have taken some other body parts, police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

The head of a man in his 40s, 50s or 60s was found about a half-mile (kilometers) inside the gated canyon road, which is part of the vast Griffith Park.

"One of the dogs ran into the brush and came out carrying a plastic grocery bag. As the dogs shook the plastic grocery bag the severed human head fell out of the bag and onto the ground." Smith told KCBS-TV.

The man may have been killed elsewhere in recent days and his body dumped in the park, Smith said.

The man wasn't immediately identified. Police were checking reports of missing persons and coroner's investigators will check dental records.

Smith noted that the canyon is well-traveled by both cars and hikers. A paved road winds around picnic areas and a children's playground before connecting with a trail that eventually winds up near the Hollywood sign.

[JBond]

Maybe it's Jimmy Hoffa.

[Ramplate]

Originally Posted by JBond

Maybe it's Jimmy Hoffa.

No he's got season passes to all the GIANTS games.

Actually, most likely he ended up in Japan - The mob has all kinds of businesses including scrap yards - American cars were crushed, and a lot of those car cubes ended up over in Japan, melted down to make new cars.

[JBond]

Wow, not only is George Lucas retiring, but he's blaming it on the fans and the negative attention the Star Wars prequels get. This is so hilarious I can barely type it out.

[rickyisamonkey]

Does anyone here have any info on the Upper Footage?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVaJ1z63jWc

[Tolkien]

Please let Lucas give the filmmaking rights to someone else already, please, please, please...

[FranklinTard]

not exactly though guys... more frustrated at the response by studio heads to his latest production - red tails. apparently he had to foot the bill completely.

this is hilarious: "If Steven (Spielberg) or I or Jim Cameron or Bob Zemeckis comes in there, and they say, 'We don’t even want to bother to see it. . . .'"

he has such an inflated sense of himself.

and he will still be making independent flicks, so he claims.

[Alien]

Originally Posted by Ramplate

More Parts

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Hand found in LA park where human head discovered

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles investigators found a human hand Wednesday in the Hollywood wilderness park where a severed head in a plastic bag was discovered by dog walkers, and the search continued for other body parts.

The hand was discovered in Bronson Canyon as dozens of police officers, including homicide investigators, combed the brush along a winding trail a few miles below the Hollywood sign.

A coroner's cadaver dog found the hand about 50 yards (45 meters) from where the head was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The remains are believed to come from the same man. Wild animals in the park may have taken some other body parts, police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

The head of a man in his 40s, 50s or 60s was found about a half-mile (kilometers) inside the gated canyon road, which is part of the vast Griffith Park.

"One of the dogs ran into the brush and came out carrying a plastic grocery bag. As the dogs shook the plastic grocery bag the severed human head fell out of the bag and onto the ground." Smith told KCBS-TV.

The man may have been killed elsewhere in recent days and his body dumped in the park, Smith said.

The man wasn't immediately identified. Police were checking reports of missing persons and coroner's investigators will check dental records.

Smith noted that the canyon is well-traveled by both cars and hikers. A paved road winds around picnic areas and a children's playground before connecting with a trail that eventually winds up near the Hollywood sign.

At least that one doesn't read like a tourist information advert again.

[Neverending]

http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/feds...egaupload-com/

The Obama administration may not like the Hollywood-supported anti-piracy bills pending in Congress — but it showed today that it’s prepared to crack down on the pirates themselves. The Justice Department calls its attack on Megaupload — said to be the world’s largest file-sharing site — “among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States.” Megaupload allegedly made $175M in criminal proceeds and cost content owners, including music and movie companies, $500M in lost revenue. Officials say that seven people and two corporations were involved in “racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, conspiring to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.” New Zealand officials today arrested four Megaupload execs: founder Kim Dotcom (also known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor), marketing chief Finn Batato, CTO Mathias Ortmann, and programmer Bram van der Kolk.

It will be interesting to see the ripple effect: Hong Kong-based Megaupload had been endorsed by celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Kanye West. The ad-supported site served as a locker for files considered too big to be emailed; the MPAA says that most of the content there was pirated. But prior to today Megaupload denied the charge: “The fact is that the vast majority of Mega’s Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay,” it said in a statement that had been posted on the site. “If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue. We have some good ideas. Please get in touch.”

[thebtskink]

Who the hell knew that Swizz Beatz was the CEO of Megaupload?

Now where am I going to get my feature length porn... er.... movies? Oh yeah, everywhere else.

[Neverending]

http://www.wwtdd.com/2012/01/anonymo...dept-websites/

Giving us a glimpse as to what life will be like once SOPA and PIPA get passed, the federal government shut down megaupload.com today and charged 7 people connected to it with running an international criminal enterprise. In response, Anonymous shut down the websites for the Department of Justice, the MPAA, and the RIAA.

At issue of course is SOPA and PIPA, which will give companies and the government the ability to shut down websites that are infringing on copyright. One of the many problems with this is that these companies will simply lie about what is or isn’t infringement if they don’t like what is being published.

Here are two emails (one and two) from Fox saying I was infringing on their intellectual property for publishing pictures of Megan Fox and Anna Faris skinny dipping while filming ‘Jennifers Body’ and ‘What’s Your Number’. Megan Fox was at a lake in Vancouver. Faris was in Boston harbor. These were pictures of public figures in a public place, taken by a third party. You can’t do something in public and claim it’s private. Fox didn’t own these pictures, but they said they did simply because they didn’t want them to get out.

Under SOPA, they could shut a website down, simply because they didn’t like what it was publishing. Having Megan Fox take her clothes off doesn’t constitute “intellectual property”. I assure you I thought of that long before ‘Jennifers Body’, and I have several hundred photshops to prove it.

[JBond]

I knew Megan Fox would be the end of us all.

[Neverending]

http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/only...al-candidates/

Tonight’s GOP presidential candidate debate question via Twitter was, “What is your take on SOPA, and how do you think it affects Americans?” CNN’s John King made full disclosure that “our parent company Time Warner says we need a law like this because some of its products — movies, programs, and the like — are being ripped off online.” With that the crowd booed. Newt Gingrich immediately snarked in reply that “You’re asking a conservative about the economic interests of Hollywood…” Only Rick Santorum acknowledged that “something should be done to protect the intellectual property rights of people. The Internet is not a free zone where anybody can do anything they want to do and trample the rights of other people.”