Most people know the theory that an asteroid smashed into Earth — hitting what is now the Yucatán Peninsula — and killed off many of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago. But that was not the only mass extinction for the planet — just the most well-known. Scientists believe at least five mass extinctions have occurred in the past 500 million years, and not all of them were caused by menacing space rocks. Perhaps two of them, one 372 million years ago and another 445 million years ago, were ice ages. A new study, based on a census of stars in the Milky Way, suggests those periods of severely cold climates may have begun with stars dying light-years away. "If a massive star were to explode as a supernova close to the Earth, the results would be devastating for life on Earth," said Nick Wright, an astrophysicist at Keele University in the United Kingdom, in a statement. "This research suggests that this may have already happened." SEE ALSO: Hubble sees mini galaxies surrounding Andromeda are pretty wild   a brachiopod fossil A fossil of a type of brachiopod, Floweria chemungensis, went extinct in the late Devonian period. Credit: Andrew Bush / National Science Foundation Previous research has yet to determine the cause for either the late Devonian or Ordovician mass extinctions, which occurred 372 and 445 million years ago, respectively. The Ordovician extinction is thought to have killed off about 60 percent of the invertebrate sea creatures at a time when most of Earth's species lived in the ocean; the late Devonian event eliminated 70 percent of all creatures and influenced sweeping changes in the kinds of fish that survived.   Scientists have suspected these ice ages followed damage to the ozone layer. Crucially, the team working on the census says supernovas could have triggered the catastrophic changes in Earth's protective atmosphere. The rate of supernovas near Earth is consistent with the timing of both mass extinctions. The team's findings appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. A supernova is a cataclysmic stellar death that leaves behind a black hole or neutron star. It is the biggest, brightest, and most violent type of explosion scientists have observed in the universe. These cosmic blasts are element factories, NASA says: They create carbon, for instance, the same chemical on which humans and much of life on Earth are based. They spread calcium and iron, the same stuff found in bones and blood, across interstellar space. This dispersal seeds new generations of stars and planets.     This is what astronomer Carl Sagan meant when he said we're made of "star stuff." The same substances composing our bodies were literally forged within the cores of stars, then flung through the cosmos when they died. It's a great paradox then that supernovas could be both creators and destroyers of life, the authors observed.   "Supernova explosions bring heavy chemical elements into the interstellar medium, which are then used to form new stars and planets," said Alexis Quintana, lead author, in a statement. "But if a planet, including the Earth, is located too close to this kind of event, this can have devastating effects." A nearby supernova's blast of various forms of radiation could strip away the ozone layer. By "near," the experts mean within 65 light-years or so. Without the ozone, Earth would be exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun and acid rain.   Betelgeuse in the sky Betelgeuse, about 650 light-years away from Earth, is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Credit: Alan Dyer / VWPics / Universal Images Group via Getty Images   Using models that estimate how stars evolve and emit light at different wavelengths, the team analyzed data from large sky surveys, including data from the European Space Agency's recently retired Gaia mission. The census involved nearly 25,000 so-called "OB stars" — very hot, massive stars — within 1,000 parsecs, or roughly 3,260 light-years, of the sun. These stars are so hot, they're at least double the sun's surface temperature. This census allowed the scientists to calculate the rate of supernovas in the local region of the galaxy and throughout the Milky Way as a whole. According to the team's calculations, about one supernova happens every 400 million years within close enough vicinity to Earth that its radiation could impact the atmosphere. The nearest stars that could blow within the next million years are thought to be Antares and Betelgeuse. If that gives you chills, don't worry: Both stars are more than 500 light-years away — far enough that their blasts wouldn't likely trigger an ice age.

no name, confirm is FT

https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...mrt-screen-door-to-retrieve-phone-from-tracks SINGAPORE – A man was detained by transport operator SMRT after climbing over platform screen doors at Boon Lay MRT station to retrieve a phone that had fallen on the train tracks. In a Facebook post on March 14, SMRT said the incident occurred at around 8.15am on March 13. When the man climbed over the 1.5m-tall half-height screen doors, another commuter activated the Emergency Stop Plunger (ESP) on the west-bound platform. ESPs are located on walls or pillars near the platform screen doors. Passengers may press the ESP in case of emergencies, such as when they see someone stuck at platform gaps or doors. When the ESP is activated, trains will come to a safe stop and station staff will attend to the situation. “Thanks to the timely activation of the ESP, the incoming train was halted in time, and the individual was unharmed. Our staff immediately intervened, detained the trespasser and alerted the police,” said Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains. SMRT said it takes a serious view of this incident as the trespasser could have been hit by a train or electrocuted by the high-voltage traction power from the third rail. When emergency brakes are applied, there is a risk of injury to passengers on the train. “Such reckless actions not only endanger lives but can also cause service disruptions, affecting many commuters,” Mr Lam added. Commuters should always stay clear of the tracks. If an item falls on the tracks, they should seek help from SMRT staff. Item retrieval can be carried out only at the end of the day due to safety reasons. In 2021, a man admitted to stopping an MRT train at the Buona Vista station in trying to retrieve a phone that fell on the tracks. He also assaulted a security officer. He was fined $5,600.

KNN this type make alternative party look bad. Do i agree?   my answer is: the enemy of my enemy is my friend   so i vote      

SINGAPORE – Two incidents similar to the one that disrupted the Meet-the-People session of Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam took place at Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo’s meeting with residents. In a Facebook post on March 14, Mrs Teo, who is an MP for Jalan Besar GRC, said she did not want to bring up the matter publicly, but decided to do so after he posted a video of his exchange with two women on Facebook. The People’s Action Party identified the women as being part of activist group Monday of Palestine Solidarity. In Jalan Besar GRC, Mrs Teo said both occasions were at her Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng branch office, with the first in November 2024. At that time, Mrs Teo, who is Second Minister for Home Affairs, said two women attended her Meet-the-People Session to voice their concerns about the Republic’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Although such sessions prioritise residents, who have urgent matters that need to be addressed, she added that she was prepared to meet the women after attending to her duties. “For nearly an hour, I listened to their concerns.     “I also offered to write to the relevant ministries on their behalf, so that the authorities could hear their feedback.” A few weeks later, an online article appeared about their exchange, despite interactions during Meet-the-People Session being confidential and MPs typically not publicly disclosing what was discussed, she said. “Although the article acknowledged that I had engaged the two women empathetically, it was difficult to see any reason for publishing the piece other than to spread the word that they had successfully made a move at my MPS (Meet-the-People Session),” added Mrs Teo. More recently, in January, a resident who had attended previous Meet-the-People Sessions was accompanied by a “daughter”, purportedly seeking financial help, she said. When it was their turn to meet Mrs Teo, however, the younger woman passed the older one a document to read out, with the contents unrelated to the financial help they said they were seeking. This second incident was carried out by a different activist group. Noting that it was clear they were not mother and daughter, she added that volunteers had been supporting the older woman for some time by providing monthly groceries and weekly food rations. Mrs Teo said: “To respect her privacy, we did not question how there was suddenly a ‘daughter’ accompanying her to (the) Meet-the-People Session.” She and her volunteers continue to help the older woman to this day, Mrs Teo added. The PAP said the Monday of Palestine Solidarity group carried out its activities at more than 10 Meet-the-People Sessions. The group would typically create a ruckus in the waiting area and disrupt the queue system, while also filming and raising their voices, affecting residents.   Volunteers would also be heckled by members of the group, added the PAP. Mrs Teo added: “It goes without saying that my volunteers were perturbed and saddened by such incidents – especially when they respond to help-seekers with sincere intent, never expecting to be led to an ‘ambush’.” She said these incidents make it difficult for her and her team of volunteers to let their guard down, since they do not know if they might face hostility, or be secretly recorded and featured in articles that paint them in a bad light. While she expressed her appreciation that residents are willing to raise concerns beyond immediate ones, she added that she is saddened that the tone of Meet-the-People Sessions seems to have shifted in her nearly two decades as an MP. “My hope is for Meet-the-People Sessions to return to their truest purpose – they are not protest platforms, but a channel for MPs to engage their residents openly and attend to their most acute needs.” In a separate Facebook post on the same day, Mr Sharael Taha, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said the actions of the women who disrupted Mr Shanmugam’s Meet-the-People Session were not representative of the Malay/Muslim community’s values. He added that representatives from Monday of Palestine Solidarity visited a Meet-the-People Session at the Pasir Ris East constituency that he represents. “However, their actions – including being rude to the volunteers and making hurtful comments about family – show they were never truly interested in meaningful, constructive dialogue that could genuinely help the cause.” On March 12, two women showed up at Mr Shanmugam’s Chong Pang branch office, requesting to speak to him about Singapore’s fake news law, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act. During a tense exchange, one of the women was seen pointing her middle finger towards onlookers, with the pair – joined by a man – shouting at the minister as he walked away to return to his duties.