Jesus's blog

Today I got to interview my table partner Isabel. She told me that the word that best describes her is impatient. One of the reasons she chose impatient is because she does not like to wait for people. She is also very strict when it comes to being on time. Isabel’s time is precious and she stated “She does not have time to waste”. When it comes to soccer she dislikes it when people are repetitive. What bothers Isabel the most is when she driving and the light is red for a long time.

In a massive laboratory beneath the University of Arizona’s football stadium, a high-tech furnace was working its magic. This furnace, resembling a spinning saucer, had reached a scorching 1165°C. Inside it, 17,500 kilograms of special glass had melted, and it would soon become a colossal mirror.

This mirror was the last of seven needed for the Giant Magellan Telescope, set to become the world’s most powerful optical instrument. The telescope, located on a Chilean mountaintop, featured seven primary mirrors shaped like a flower. These mirrors acted as one, capturing light with image quality four times better than our best space telescopes.

What made this telescope unique was its ability to study cool, Earth-like exoplanets in detail. Unlike the James Webb Space Telescope, it focused on optical and near-infrared light – wavelengths important for identifying signs of life.

The telescope was named after Ferdinand Magellan, the explorer who circumnavigated the globe. Some wanted to change its name due to Magellan’s controversial actions, but no decision had been made.

Creating these mirrors was a long and precise process. They started with a glass furnace, then molded the melted glass into a unique structure. After extensive cooling, they polished it for two years until it was incredibly smooth.

A final coat of aluminum, great for reflecting visible light, would enable the telescope to potentially spot alien worlds.

This telescope held the promise of finding distant, Earth-like planets and signs of extraterrestrial life. As its completion neared, it offered hope for unlocking the universe’s mysteries.

A severe gas explosion and building collapse in Wappingers Falls, New York, left 15 people injured on November 2, 2023.

The explosion happened during what was supposed to be routine maintenance, leading to a gas line rupture and a massive blast. Among the injured, there were five first responders, including a firefighter and four police officers, as well as eight adults and two children, according to Wappingers Falls Police Commissioner Paul Italiano.

Rescue teams worked hard to free those trapped under the collapsed building and rushed them to nearby hospitals. As of Thursday evening, all the injured individuals remained in the hospital, with some having critical burn injuries.

The building that collapsed had been part of the Wappingers Falls community for about 80 to 90 years and had four apartments in a row.

Central Hudson Gas & Electric, responsible for the ruptured gas line, is cooperating with the Red Cross to help those who were displaced by the explosion.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded to the incident by sending emergency services personnel to assist. She urged New Yorkers to follow the instructions of law enforcement and first responders and offered her thoughts and prayers to the Village of Wappingers Falls.

Wappingers Falls, which is approximately 60 miles north of Yonkers, is now dealing with the aftermath of this tragic event, as the community comes together to support the injured and those affected by the explosion.