Hollywood's depiction of aliens could be close to the truth
A leading biologist said that Aliens resembling humans must have evolved on other planets. Evolutionary biologist Simon Conway Morris says it is surprising we have not already discovered extra-terrestrials that look like us - given the growing number of Earth-like planets now discovered by astronomers.
He his claim also on evidence that different species will independently develop similar features which means that life similar to that on Earth would also develop on equivalent planets.
The theory, known as convergence, says evolution is a predictable process which follows a rigid set of rules.
"I would argue that in any habitable zone that doesn't boil or freeze, intelligent life is going to emerge, because intelligence is convergent," he said.
"One can say with reasonable confidence that the likelihood of something analogous to a human evolving is really pretty high.
"And given the number of potential planets that we now have good reason to think exist, even if the dice only come up the right way every one in 100 throws, that still leads to a very large number of intelligence scattered around, that are likely to be similar to us."
The argument is put forward in his new book "The Runes Of Evolution."
He has claimed previously that aliens would resemble earthlings with limbs, heads, and bodies.
In the new book, he also goes further claiming any Earth-like planet should also evolve predators like sharks as well as mangroves, and mushrooms, among many other things.
What is love? Is there a point in dating? Is there even a God? These are questions being answered by the concerned public today in the wake of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's split announcement.
The above sentiments are part of the emotional roller coaster we ride every time another celebrity couple breaks up. There you are, just innocently going about your day and believing that true love does exist when BAM! Your world, and everything you thought was true, gets rocked.
While (almost) every celebrity split is tragic, some are more devastating than others. Between all Big Sean and Ariana Grande's there's a Jen Aniston and Brad Pitt to remind you what true sadness is.
In the spirit of wallowing in sorrow, here are 12 of the most depressing splits, ranked in order of devastation.
10. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. We'll call this split legendary, but not exactly shocking. After all, JLo had been married multiple times before; it's not like anyone was expecting a fairy tale romance out of Bennifer. But after a couple puts out a music video that shows what can only be described as a-- caressing, you kind of get used to the idea of them as an item. Either way, the public will never be able to un-see that yacht scene.
9. Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. So this relationship only lasted two months. We barely got to know them as a couple, but Swifties and Directioners get really attached really fast, so their resulting split was a tough blow for fans. After all, they could have been the Queen and King of pop music! And there's almost nothing more tragic than the sight of Taylor Swift alone on that boat in the Virgin Islands. Cue, well, the Taylor Swift songs.
8. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Otherwise known as The Breakup That Would Not End. A split that would have been devastating enough forTwilight shippers everywhere was made even more devastating by our collective failure to find closure. From competing reports of whether they would try and work things out post-K.Stew's infidelity, to the confusion over whether Rob actually moved out, it truly was an emotional roller coaster for all involved. And for all involved, we mean tween Twilight fans. But they were really hurting, you guys.
7. Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. There are some couples in Hollywood who may not be a part of your daily lives the way, say, the Beckhams are, but have been together so long that it's nice to know they're out there, loving each other. That was Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. And when a couple like them breaks up (after 23 years!), it makes you wonder if anyone at all can last a lifetime.
6. Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. Show us one person who didn't think Zanessa was going to be together forever and we'll show you a liar. (Or possibly someone who didn't follow the intimate details of the romantic lives of former Disney stars). But whatever. They were former costars-turned-lovers, they were each more beautiful than the other, and they were but two starry-eyed budding celebrities navigating the craziness of Hollywood together. UNTIL THEY WEREN'T. Looking back now it's probably best for both of them that they parted ways (you know, to grow or whatever), but it doesn't make it any less tragic.
5. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. Conscious uncoupling be damned, this was sad. Gwyn and Chris had such a romantic love story, what with their meeting at a Coldplay concert and getting married barely a year later. Plus Gwyneth is a guru and Svengali to so many aspiring Goop-ies, that it's hard to accept that even she struggles with a relationship in the spotlight. If Gwyneth Paltrow can't therapy-and-supplement her way out of a marital spat, who can?!
4. Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. The world's collective response to this breakup can be summed up in one word: "WHAT?!" These two were so funny! And so happy! And so funny! What could you have to get mad about when you're just so funny? Apparently a lot. This split caused multiple pains, first when the divorce was announced and again when Amy's Yes, Please came out. Who can read this excerptwithout breaking down in tears? "When you are a person going through a divorce you feel incredibly alone, yet you are constantly reminded by society of how frequently divorce happens and how common it has become. You aren't allowed to feel special, but no one knows the specific ways you are in pain."
3. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. For so many people these two were the original #RelationshipGoals. What more could you ask for than your two favorite pop stars finding love with each other? (Besides those two pop stars getting married and having lots of sex and babies). So many emotional voids opened up when Brit and Justin broke up. For starters, who will wear matching denim outfits now?
2. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Is there any more perfect love story than falling in love after filming The Notebook, the most perfect romance movie of all time? Talk about a match made in Nicholas Sparks heaven. For two blissful years, rom-com fans got to marvel at a real-life fairy tale, until it all came burning to the ground—and we were never able to watch The Notebook again.
1. Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. It has been 10 devastating years since our world was turned upside down. 10 devastating years since we last believed in love. And as it turns out, 10 years is not long enough to move past Jen and Brad. Even today, when we're feeling down, we flip on that episode of Friends when Brad guest-starred and just try to look for clues. We've never been able to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and we doubt we ever will. In fact, if we die alone, Jen and Brad will have only themselves to blame.
Calling Albert Podell ‘well traveled’ would be an understatement. 78-year-old Podell, a former Playboy editor, can truly say that he’s seen it all, after spending half a century visiting every country in the world.Oddity Central has more:
"Podell was bitten by the travel bug at a very young age. When he was six he began collecting postage stamps and he remembers always wanting to have at least one stamp from every country in the world. “Getting a passport stamp from every one may have been inspired by that,” he says.
“Those little coloured bits of perforated paper also instilled in me a fascination with travel because I wanted to see the lands where all the objects, people, and places depicted on those stamps came from.”
"Traveling to every one of the 196 officially recognized countries hasn’t been easy, especially on an accommodation budget of about $10 per night, and Podell admits he has been through some tough situations, like being unable to prove that he was not CIA to the Cuban secret police or nearly lynched in East Pakistan where he was mistaken for an Indian spy, but this kind of moments only added excitement to his epic journey around the world."
She's been teasing fans for weeks, and on Friday Selena Gomez finally debuted the sultry music video for her new single Good For You.
The 22-year-old strips down to a wet T-shirt - and in one clip, her birthday suit - as she writhes around in the brooding, seductive video.
And much like the star herself, Selena tweeted on Friday that video's song was a 'stripped down version,' as she shared the Vevo link with her 30M followers.
Scroll down for video
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Stripped down: Selena Gomez bared her skin in broody new video for Good For You, which the singer shared on Vevo on Friday
The video begins with Selena rocking a patterned magenta-coloured robe opened up to show off some of her cleavage as she sprawled out on a bright green couch.
The Heart Wants What It Wants hitmaker looked restless as she tossed and turned while showing off her toned torso and svelte legs.
The former Disney Channel star looked gorgeous as her raven-coloured locks are disheveled and she sported natural, complimentary make-up on her face finished off with a swipe of shiny pink lip.
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Sultry: Selena danced in the shower for the newly released video directed by Sophie Muller
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Brooding: The dramatic video had Selena expressing her appreciation to an unnamed beau
As the music began to pick up and head toward the chorus, Selena could then be seen sporting an over-sized wet, white T-shirt, before shedding all clothes for a steamy shower scene.
The stars sings: 'I just wanna look good for you, good for you. Let me show you how proud I am to be yours,' as the camera shifts between the star's shy smile as she sits on the couch, and her running her fingers through her hair in the shower.
She then embodied the image from her new single's cover art, as she sits on a stool against a white wall, sporting the wet T-shirt.
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Showing some skin: At one point Selena posed in seemingly just a wet, white T-shirt
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Seductive: Selena sported a deeply plunging pink ensemble as she writhed around on a bright green couch
Selena danced on the stool, accentuating the lyrics she was singing, before tugging down on the over-sized shirt to protect her modesty.
She then showed off a third look, with her Pantene-approved tresses styled straight as she modeled a lacy brown camisole underneath a gold patterned cardigan.
The actress looked down on the camera for these scenes, moving in and out of close-up shots that were so near to the camera that the image would get blurry.
Next, Selena sported a fitted white T-shirt with a pair of distressed, light wash jeans while writhing around on a hardwood floor.
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Relaxed: The 22-year-old singer looked stunning - though a bit broody - in the dramatic video
Revealing: The clip showed off plenty of cleavage and leg
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Pretty in patterns: At one point Selena could be seen rocking a patterned magenta robe
The fitted shirt rose to reveal the star's toned midriff as she could be seen moving around on the ground to her latest single.
Lastly the hitmaker is pictured sporting a sleeveless white dress while lounging on a leather chaise lounge as the song neared its end.
Her make-up was a bit more dramatic for this scene, with the star donning a smoky eye look with a pink lipstick.
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Brunette beauty: Her raven-coloured locks were disheveled in the clip
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Gorgeous: The Heart Wants What It Wants singer had natural, complimentary make-up on her face finished off with a swipe of shiny pink lip during segments of the video
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Confident: Selena showed that she pays no mind to body shamers as she flaunted her trim figure in the seductive video
Selena took to Instagram on Friday to share her excitement about her fans finally getting to see the Sophie Muller-directed video.
'I’m so happy to finally share the official video for “Good For You" featuring the initial stripped down version of the song! I hope you enjoy it!' she wrote.
The actual song was released on Sunday for download on Apple Music, the same day the audio was put up for listening on her Vevo page as well.
Selena also shared a tweet promoting the single for download, excitedly writing: 'It’s here!!! You can finally get #GoodForYou ft. @asvpxrocky on @AppleMusic!'
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Natural: The brunette beauty showed off her Pantene-approved tresses as she sprawled out on a hardwood floor
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Showing off her pearly whites: Selena smiled as she sported a more casual look in one of the shots, donning a fitted white T-shirt and distressed jeans
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Quick change: Selena showed off more dramatic make-up later in the video, as she danced in a loose-fitting gold-embellished cardigan and a brown lace camisole
Making an appearance on the track is New York rapper ASAP Rocky, who gives his own lyrical stylings over the slow-paced song - thought this is not featured in the video.
Last Friday, the art for the single was released featuring Selena with slicked back wet hair while appearing to wear nothing more than an over-sized white T-shirt.
The songbird raved in the caption: 'So excited to finally show you guys the art for #GoodForYou ft. @asvpxrocky coming 6/22!'
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'So excited': The former Disney Channel star unveiled the sultry single cover art for Good For You on Instagram last Friday, ahead of sharing the full-length video
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Pretty flacko: Rapper ASAP Rocky is featured on the song, as he was pictured at the MOSCHINO fashion show in Florence, Italy on Friday
Seated on a rusted stool, Selena flattered her dewy skin with silver eye shadow and bare pink lips.
The pop star perched one foot upon her stool while draping the other towards the floor.
She later excitedly posted a picture of an advert promoting the release in front of the Marriott Marquis at Times Square in New York City.
See the ully automated bricklaying machine can create an entire house in just two days
FACTS ABOUT THIS
-The robot, called Hadrian, was developed by an Australian inventor
-It can lay 1,000 bricks an hour and work around the clock, 24 hours a day
-A robotic 'hand' lays the brick, and it can also apply mortar
-It 3D scans its surroundings to work out exactly where to place bricks
For 6,000 years, bricklaying has remained largely the same - it still relies on slow, methodical placements by humans.
But one inventor wants to turn the world of bricklaying on its head with his robot, which can out-perform even the most motivated of builders.
Called Hadrian, it can lay 1,000 bricks and hour and work around the clock - and could apparently build 150 homes a year.
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The robot (pictured), called Hadrian, was developed by an Australian inventor. It can lay 1,000 bricks an hour and work around the clock, 24 hours a day. A robotic 'hand' lays the brick, and it can also apply mortar. It 3D scans its surroundings to work out exactly where to place bricks
Called Hadrian - named after the wall - the fully-automated robot was created by Australian inventor Mark Pivac, who founded Fastbrick Robotics.
‘People have been laying bricks for about 6,000 years and ever since the industrial revolution, they have tried to automate the bricklaying process,’ he told Perth Now.
‘We’re at a technological nexus where a few different technologies have got to the level where it’s now possible to do it, and that’s what we’ve done.’
The robot has a boom 92ft (28 metres) long that is connected to its main body.
At the end is a robotic ‘hand’ that can grab bricks, pick them up, and place them down in sequence.
A 3D computer-aided design (CAD) is used to work out the shape of the house or structure required, and the robot then calculates where each brick should go.
Mortar or adhesive is also deliver under pressure to the hand of the arm and applied to the brick, so no external human element is required.
It can even leave spaces for wiring and plumbing, and scans and cuts the bricks if they need to be re-shaped.
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The robot has a boom 92ft (28 metres) long that is connected to its main body, seen left. At the end is a robotic ‘hand’ (right) that can grab bricks, pick them up, and place them down in sequence
The project, ten years in the making and with $7 million (£4.5 million) spent on it so far, would supposedly be able to create a house in just two days. It could work by itself 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and although other aspects of the house would require human intervention, it is perhaps a sign of things to come
The project, ten years in the making and with $7 million (£4.5 million) spent on it so far, would supposedly be able to create a house in just two days.
It could work by itself 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and although other aspects of the house would require human intervention, it is perhaps a sign of things to come in construction.
The product will be marketed first in Western Australia, before expanding to the rest of the country and ultimately the whole world.
Mr Pivac noted that he had 'nothing against bricklayers', and simply wanted to improve the process in which houses were made.
He says his robot could help attract younger people to the profession.
BUILDING THROUGH THE AGES: HOW DID EGYPTIANS MAKE THE PYRAMIDS?
There are conflicting theories as to how the ancient Egyptians constructed pyramids.
An illustration of the 12th Dynasty Tomb of Djhuihotep shows 172 men pulling a statue along on a sledge, leading some experts to suggest huge blocks needed for the pyramids were transported using the same technique.
This theory has been built on, with some experts suggesting roads were coated in a layer of water to make them slippery.
Other experts have suggested that workers rolled stones along.
Alternative, a cradle-like machine could have been used, while another expert suggested wooden curves could have been fitted to each block to make cylinders.
Historical accounts suggest ramps were built for workers to carry blocks up the structure, but an engineer recently suggested the structures were built from the inside out.
Her aunt Pat Houston released a statement saying the 22-year-old's condition has worsened.
"Despite the great medical care at numerous facilities, Bobbi Kristina Brown's condition has continued to deteriorate," it read.
"As of today, she has been moved into hospice care."
Ms Brown, the only child of the late singer Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub at her home near Atlanta in January.
She had surgery to replace her breathing tube with a tracheostomy tube in February.
The statement said the Houston family thanks "everyone for their support and prayers. She is in God's hands now."
Bobby Brown and Pat Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law and manager, were appointed co-guardians of Brown last month.
Ms Brown's famous mother, a six-time Grammy Award winner and actress who battled substance abuse, was found unresponsive in a hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills, California, in February 2012.
You do it, I do it, we all know is a bad habit, but how do we stop? Read this story and see how bad this is.
This happened in China where a slim teenager got her entire leg stuck in a storm drain while walking and texting.
The girl who is still unnamed was paying rapt attention to her mobile phone while walking down the street in Mianyang City, in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. While she was busy texting a friend, she wasn’t paying attention to the pavement and when she stepped on a drain, her slim leg went right through the bars putting her left foot in a tight wedge.
A good Samaritan had to call the fire brigade before she could be rescued after a 45-minute wait.
