Tag: French

UFOs, Rocket Tests, and “Demented” Animals

Of the many and varied documents that the CIA has declassified, and which reference UFOs, one of the strangest is titled “Somaliland President Egal Speaks On Mysterious Bomb Blast.” It was placed into the public domain in 1999 and describes events which occurred three years earlier. The document was shared with the staff of a… Read more » Source: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2019/04/ufos-rocket-tests-and-demented-animals/…

French Government Releases In-house IM App To Replace WhatsApp and Telegram Use

A year ago, the French government unveiled its plan to build its own encrypted messenger service to ease fears that foreign entities could spy on private conversations between top officials. That app, named Tchap, is now official for Android handsets and the iPhone. From a report: A web dashboard is also in the works. Only official French government employees can sign-up…

Notre Dame Official Says ‘Computer Glitch’ Could Be Fire Culprit

A “computer glitch” may have been behind the fast-spreading fire that ravaged Notre Dame, Associated Press reported Friday, citing the cathedral’s rector. From the report: Speaking during a meeting of local business owners, rector Patrick Chauvet did not elaborate on the exact nature of the glitch, adding that “we may find out what happened in two or three months.” On Thursday,…

A History of Notre-Dame’s Crown of Thorns Relic

Now that the flames have been extinguished and the damage assessment has begun, many of the stories of the terrible fire that destroyed parts of the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris have mentioned a number of relics that were kept there and their post-fire status. Most notable is the object many believe to be the… Continue reading A History of Notre-Dame’s Crown of Thorns Relic

Microplastics Are Blowing In the Wind

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Scientific American: Scientists have detected tiny pieces of plastic falling out of the air like artificial dust. A first-of-its-kind study finds these particles have blown in on the wind from at least 100 kilometers away and likely much farther. This is a clear indication that atmospheric transport is yet another way plastic pollution…

The race to save the planet from plastic

Scientists are trying to accelerate evolution to make plastics rot. A tiny new organism is showing them how. Sometime between 2010 and 2015, a tiny organism with an unusual appetite made a home in an industrial site near a bottle-recycling plant in Sakai, Japan. The site, located by a bustling port in one of the… Continue reading The race to save the planet from plastic

Critic’s Notebook: A Nation in Turmoil Weeps for a Symbol of Its Enduring Identity

For centuries, Notre-Dame cathedral has enshrined an evolving notion of what it means to be French. As smoke and flames wafted into the sky on Monday, the symbolism was hard to miss. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/world/europe/notre-dame-france-fire.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

Why Notre Dame matters, in one Victor Hugo passage

What Victor Hugo wrote to save Notre Dame when it was on the brink of destruction. Notre Dame is on fire, and its spire has fallen. As of Monday afternoon, we don’t know for sure how the fire began or how extensive the damage is, but the world has responded to the news with an… Continue reading Why Notre Dame matters, in one Victor Hugo passage

The devastating Notre Dame Cathedral fire, in 13 photos

Stunning images of the iconic gothic landmark in Paris, France, engulfed in flames. The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, is burning in a massive fire that has already destroyed the monument’s spire and is threatening to consume the entire structure. The blaze erupted at the centuries-old cathedral on Monday around 6:30 pm local… Continue reading The devastating Notre Dame Cathedral fire, in 13 photos