Stephen Hawking organised a time travel party in 2009

Time travel

A time travel party organised by Stephen Hawking in 2009.

This was an experiment that Hawking conducted to test the possibility of backward time travel. He invited people from the future to attend a reception at his university, but he did not send out the invitations until after the party. He hoped that someone from the future would find the invitation and use a wormhole time machine to come back and prove that time travel is possible.

However, no one showed up at his party. He said that he liked simple experiments and champagne. He also said that he had experimental evidence that time travel is not possible. He explained that warping space and time could trigger a bolt of radiation that would destroy the spaceship and maybe the space-time itself.

Is time travel to the future possible?

Based on the current scientific understanding, time travel to the past seems to be very unlikely, if not impossible. There are many paradoxes and inconsistencies that arise from the idea of changing the past.

Time travel
Stephen Hawking organised a time travel party in 2009

Time travel to the future, however, may be possible, but only in a limited sense. According to the theory of relativity, time passes at different rates depending on the speed and gravity of the observer. This means that someone who travels very fast or near a massive object could experience less time than someone who stays still or far away from the mass.

Time dilation

This is called time dilation, and it has been experimentally confirmed. However, this does not allow the traveller to return to their original time, as they would have aged less than the rest of the world.

So, in summary, time travel is unlikely, but it is acknowledged that there are some intriguing possibilities and mysteries that remain to be explored.

Never say never!

A billion is a big number – but just how big is it?

A billion

1000,000,000 (1 billion)

or

109 10 to the power of 9 (1 billion)

In the short scale system, which is commonly used in the UK, United States and most English-speaking countries, 1 billion is written as 1,000,000,000 or 109. This means that 1 billion is equal to 1 thousand million.

In the long scale system, which is commonly used in continental Europe and some other parts of the world, 1 billion is written as 1,000,000,000,000 or 1012. This means that 1 billion is equal to 1 million million.

Fun facts

If you tried to count to 1 million at an approximate rate of 1 number per second, it would take around 11 days. And that would be without sleeping or taking a rest in between the marathon quest. But if you were to count to 1 billion it would take you… wait for it… a cool 32 years!

But just imagine this, if you attempted to count to 1 trillion (1000,000,000,000) or 1012 at the same rate of 1 number per second and without sleep, rest or mistakes – it would take you about… 31,710 years! Give or take a year.

A little bit more

A million and 1 billion sound like BIG numbers, they are. But just how big…

Imagine this: 1 million seconds is roughly equal to 1 week. But, 1 billion seconds equates to about 33 years!

1 billion is a BIG number!

Fact or fiction? There was no news on 18th April 1930

No news

It’s true – or at least it was for a 1930’s BBC broadcaster

Apparently, the story goes that the most boring news day was 18th April 1930. Imagine turning on your radio ready to hear the news bulletin only to hear a BBC radio presenter announce, ‘There is no news!’

Can’t ever imagine that happening now – 24 hour news nonsense fills up all the gaps!

Elon Musk’s wealth is just crazy!

Wealth

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $243.46 billion USD as of 8th Jan 2024.

Musk is the founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, X and X.ai as well as the co-founder of PayPal and Neuralink. He made his fortune from various business ventures, starting from a web software company called Zip 2 that he sold in 1999 for around $307 million. He also inherited some wealth from his father, who owned an emerald mine in South Africa.

Think about this for a moment

It’s a little difficult to imagine such wealth so, maybe think of it like this… If you had been given $10,000 every day since the birth of Jesus Christ, 2024 years ago – you would have accumulated some $7.4 billion (without interest and leap years etc).

So, Mr Elon Musk has a net worth of around $243 billion and you would have $7.4 billion and that equates to only 3% of his current wealth.

Or, if you had been given $10,000 every day since the pyramids were built in Egypt around 4500 years ago – you would have accumulated $16.4 billion. That’s still only 6.75% of Elon Musk’s current wealth.

One last thought

A recent report conducted by Oxfam calculated that just 5 of the world’s richest men (including Musk) are worth $869 billion between them.

Your $16.4 billion accumulated over 4500 years would equate to less than 2% of that combined wealth.

Now that’s crazy!

Final thought

8 of the top 10 current billionaires made their money in… technology.

Please note: figures are estimated, but it perfectly demonstrates my point.

Fact or fiction? Chess moves outnumber atoms…

Atoms

Did you know that there are more moves in a game of chess than there are atoms in the Universe?

Well, it’s true.

The universe is so vast it is just mind bogglingly impossible to imagine how many atoms make it up. The estimated number of atoms in the universe is calculated at 10 to the power of 80 (1080).

But, the number of moves in a chess game is far greater coming in at a massive 10 to the power of 120 (10120).

This is known as the ‘Shannon number’.

So, there are more moves in a game of chess than there are atoms in the universe, as we know it Jim!

I asked AI to write a Christmas poem…

Father Christmas

And this is what it came up with… (exactly as it was written)

Christmas is a time of joy
A time to celebrate and enjoy
The birth of our Savior and King
Who came to earth to bring
Peace and love to all mankind
And hope for those who seek and find

Christmas is a time of grace
A time to forgive and embrace
The ones who hurt us or make us sad
And remember the good times we had
With family and friends who are dear
And wish them all a happy new year

Christmas is a time of light
A time to shine and delight
The world with our gifts and talents
And share our blessings and abundance
With those who are in need or alone
And make them feel they have a home

The image was AI generated too.

Merry Christmas and A happy New Year!

‘A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child.’ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.

Though Rudolph initially receives ridicule for his bright red nose, the brightness is so powerful that it illuminates Santa’s path through dark winter weather.

The original story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was written by, Robert May.

First publication of the short story was in 1939.

Rudolph
‘A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child.’ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Party politics and petty petulance, an average day at No. 10 Downing Street

Party politics and petty petulance
Party politics and petty petulance – toys out the pram again at No. 10

Welcome politics at No. 10 Downing street

The phrase ‘throwing your toys out of the pram’ is a British idiom that means to behave in a childish or immature way when you are angry or frustrated. It is usually used to criticize someone who is acting unreasonably or making a fuss over something trivial.

Right now, it sums up everyday behaviour at No. 10 Downing Street.

Laughter is good for you

Laughter is good for you

Do you know that laughter is good for your health?

Laughter can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve mood, and boost immunity. Laughter can also help you bond with others, as it is a form of social communication that shows positive emotions.

Laughter can even make you smarter, as it activates different parts of your brain and enhances creativity and learning.

So, keep laughing and enjoy life! 

Smelly farts are not so bad after all

'Why is farting funny?'

Why do we fart, and why is it funny and embarrassing too?

Farting is a natural and normal part of digestion that reflects the activity of the bacteria in your gut. You might also notice that you fart more when you eat certain foods that are more difficult to digest, such as beans or cabbage.

Farting can also be a sign of good health, as it means that your digestive system is working properly.

Some people may find farting funny or embarrassing, but it is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, some cultures even celebrate farting as a form of humour or art. For example, in Japan, there is a traditional art form called ‘he-gassen, which means ‘fart battle‘. It depicts people farting at each other in various situations, such as war, politics, or even romance, would you believe.

Benefits of a good fart

Scientists have identified the bacterium that’s responsible for making us pass wind. They say it is also helping keep other more harmful and dangerous bacteria, such as salmonella from infecting your gut.

The Taurinivorans muris bacterium converts the food we eat into hydrogen sulphide – as smelly gas that stinks of rotten eggs. yes, you know the one – we’ve all done one! But the amazing thing is it acts a chemical soldier keeping bad bacteria at bay.

So, next time you pass wind – think of all the good it’s doing, even if it does stink a little!

Introducing the UK magic message government lectern

Magic message lecturn

‘Have you noticed everytime the government needs to persuade the public that their ‘message’ is so super important – they roll out the magic message lectern”.

Introducing the UK magic message government lectern

Other important messages

And this…

And this one…

The latest government slogan… ‘LONG-TERM DECISIONS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE’

Let’s roll out the advertisements to persuade the UK public the government knows best… again.

They convinced me!

Not!

It’s a joke!

The UK government is trying to peruade the public that the recent Sunak climate rollback decision is a good thing… ‘LONG-TERM DECISIONS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE’

Who are the kidding?

NASA ‘UFO’ or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) report

UFO

Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP)

NASA has recently released a report on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), which is another term for UFOs. The report is based on a yearlong study of hundreds of UAP sightings by scientists and data experts. 

In brief

NASA found no evidence that aliens are behind the UAPs, but it also could not rule out the possibility. The report said that some of the objects must have travelled through our solar system to get here.

NASA said that the study of UAPs will require new scientific techniques, including advanced satellites and artificial intelligence. The agency also announced a new director of UAP research to establish a robust database and analysis process.

NASA said that UAPs are important for national security and air safety, as some of them pose potential threats to aircraft and military operations. The agency also said that it will share data and findings with more transparency and collaboration.

NASA said that many UAP sightings can be explained by natural phenomena, human-made objects, or sensor errors, but some remain unexplained and anomalous. The report estimated that only about 2% to 5% of the total database are thought to be truly anomalous.

‘Take me to your leader…’