Latest news with #Physical
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Sabrina Carpenter Returns To No. 1 As Her Next Era Is About To Begin
The next era of Sabrina Carpenter's reign as one of the biggest pop stars in the world is about to kick off. The singer recently announced a new single titled "Man Child," which is slated to drop on Thursday, June 5. As the singer-songwriter heads into another chapter, the album that turned her into a pop powerhouse, Short N' Sweet, is in charge yet again. Carpenter returns to the No. 1 spot on the Official Albums chart in the United Kingdom with her full-length Short N' Sweet. The title steps up from second place to become the most consumed collection in the country. That's quite the accomplishment for a project that reaches a milestone 40 frames on the roster as it regains control of the throne. Short N' Sweet has now led the charge in the U.K. for five nonconsecutive frames. Interestingly, none of those have been in a row. The title debuted at No. 1 in early September 2024 and last ruled in March of this year. Throughout its lifetime, Carpenter's breakout project has never fallen outside of the top five. In fact, the lowest it's ever declined is No. 5 — a position it reached in February, but only for one stint. Short N' Sweet manages to succeed despite declining on most of the consumption-based rosters that help dictate where a title lands on the Official Albums chart. The set drops to No. 20 on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums rankings and holds in last place at No. 100 on the Official Album Downloads list. It does, however, rule the Official Albums Streaming roster, as it seems that plays on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are largely keeping Carpenter's full-length going. This week, Carpenter fends off competition from legendary pop-rock band Sparks. The American group almost scores its first No. 1 with its twenty-eighth full-length Mad!, which instead settles for second place. That's still a new high point for the outfit. Last week's champion, I'm the Problem by Morgan Wallen, drops from No. 1 to No. 10. Short N' Sweet is being kept afloat largely by the continued success of a number of huge hits featured on its tracklist. Carpenter scores six big songs on the U.K. charts this week, five of which come from her Grammy-winning project. "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" are the top performers, while "Taste," "Busy Woman," and "Bed Chem" follow behind.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
New research challenges everything we know about the Big Bang
The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe – a singular moment when space, time and matter sprang into existence. But what if this was not the beginning at all? What if our universe emerged from something else – something more familiar and radical at the same time? In a new paper, published in Physical Review D, my colleagues and I propose a striking alternative. Our calculations suggest the Big Bang was not the start of everything, but rather the outcome of a gravitational crunch or collapse that formed a very massive black hole – followed by a bounce inside it. This idea, which we call the black hole universe, offers a radically different view of cosmic origins, yet it is grounded entirely in known physics and observations. Today's standard cosmological model, based on the Big Bang and cosmic inflation (the idea that the early universe rapidly blew up in size), has been remarkably successful in explaining the structure and evolution of the universe. But it comes at a price: it leaves some of the most fundamental questions unanswered. For one, the Big Bang model begins with a singularity – a point of infinite density where the laws of physics break down. This is not just a technical glitch; it's a deep theoretical problem that suggests we don't really understand the beginning at all. To explain the universe's large-scale structure, physicists introduced a brief phase of rapid expansion into the early universe called cosmic inflation, powered by an unknown field with strange properties. Later, to explain the accelerating expansion observed today, they added another 'mysterious' component: dark energy. In short, the standard model of cosmology works well – but only by introducing new ingredients we have never observed directly. Meanwhile, the most basic questions remain open: where did everything come from? Why did it begin this way? And why is the universe so flat, smooth, and large? Our new model tackles these questions from a different angle – by looking inward instead of outward. Instead of starting with an expanding universe and trying to trace back how it began, we consider what happens when an overly dense collection of matter collapses under gravity. This is a familiar process: stars collapse into black holes, which are among the most well-understood objects in physics. But what happens inside a black hole, beyond the event horizon from which nothing can escape, remains a mystery. In 1965, the British physicist Roger Penrose proved that under very general conditions, gravitational collapse must lead to a singularity. This result, extended by the late British physicist Stephen Hawking and others, underpins the idea that singularities – like the one at the Big Bang – are unavoidable. The idea helped win Penrose a share of the 2020 Nobel prize in physics and inspired Hawking's global bestseller A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. But there's a caveat. These 'singularity theorems' rely on 'classical physics' which describes ordinary macroscopic objects. If we include the effects of quantum mechanics, which rules the tiny microcosmos of atoms and particles, as we must at extreme densities, the story may change. In our new paper, we show that gravitational collapse does not have to end in a singularity. We find an exact analytical solution – a mathematical result with no approximations. Our maths show that as we approach the potential singularity, the size of the universe changes as a (hyperbolic) function of cosmic time. This simple mathematical solution describes how a collapsing cloud of matter can reach a high-density state and then bounce, rebounding outward into a new expanding phase. But how come Penrose's theorems forbid out such outcomes? It's all down to a rule called the quantum exclusion principle, which states that no two identical particles known as fermions can occupy the same quantum state (such as angular momentum, or 'spin'). And we show that this rule prevents the particles in the collapsing matter from being squeezed indefinitely. As a result, the collapse halts and reverses. The bounce is not only possible – it's inevitable under the right conditions. Crucially, this bounce occurs entirely within the framework of general relativity, which applies on large scales such as stars and galaxies, combined with the basic principles of quantum mechanics – no exotic fields, extra dimensions or speculative physics required. What emerges on the other side of the bounce is a universe remarkably like our own. Even more surprisingly, the rebound naturally produces the two separate phases of accelerated expansion – inflation and dark energy – driven not by a hypothetical fields but by the physics of the bounce itself. One of the strengths of this model is that it makes testable predictions. It predicts a small but non-zero amount of positive spatial curvature – meaning the universe is not exactly flat, but slightly curved, like the surface of the Earth. This is simply a relic of the initial small over-density that triggered the collapse. If future observations, such as the ongoing Euclid mission, confirm a small positive curvature, it would be a strong hint that our universe did indeed emerge from such a bounce. It also makes predictions about the current universe's rate of expansion, something that has already been verified. This model does more than fix technical problems with standard cosmology. It could also shed new light on other deep mysteries in our understanding of the early universe – such as the origin of supermassive black holes, the nature of dark matter, or the hierarchical formation and evolution of galaxies. These questions will be explored by future space missions such as Arrakhis, which will study diffuse features such as stellar halos (a spherical structure of stars and globular clusters surrounding galaxies) and satellite galaxies (smaller galaxies that orbit larger ones) that are difficult to detect with traditional telescopes from Earth and will help us understand dark matter and galaxy evolution. These phenomena might also be linked to relic compact objects – such as black holes – that formed during the collapsing phase and survived the bounce. The black hole universe also offers a new perspective on our place in the cosmos. In this framework, our entire observable universe lies inside the interior of a black hole formed in some larger 'parent' universe. We are not special, no more than Earth was in the geocentric worldview that led Galileo (the astronomer who suggested the Earth revolves around the Sun in the 16th and 17th centuries) to be placed under house arrest. We are not witnessing the birth of everything from nothing, but rather the continuation of a cosmic cycle – one shaped by gravity, quantum mechanics, and the deep interconnections between them. Enrique Gaztanaga is a Professor in the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (University of Portsmouth) at the University of Portsmouth. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Express Tribune
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SBBU to launch nursing, DPT courses
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) in Lyari is set to expand its academic offerings by launching two professional degree programmes — BS Nursing and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) — from the academic session of 2026 in a development being seen as an important shift from traditional to professional education at the varsity. According to VC Prof Dr Hussain Mehdi, the university's academic council has granted approval for both programmes. Preparations are currently under way, pending financial clearance from the relevant authorities, to start admissions in the upcoming session. While speaking to The Express Tribune, Prof Mehdi also said that admissions in other disciplines, especially International Relations, Media Sciences, and Sports Sciences, had been temporarily suspended following objections raised by the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC). The concerns centered on the lack of permanent faculty in these departments. "We have submitted a request to the chief minister for approval to appoint qualified faculty. Once granted, we will issue an advertisement and aim to resume admissions from the next academic session," he added. The vice chancellor confirmed that the university had not collected examination or affiliation fees from its affiliated colleges for the past 10 years. During this period, the university continued to bear the cost of conducting examinations, resulting in considerable financial strain. However, recent efforts by the current administration have led to the recovery of Rs3.5 million in dues over the last three months. These funds have been allocated towards much-needed campus development. Prof Mehdi outlined the improvements, which include upgraded lighting in classrooms and corridors, new paintwork, installation of false ceilings, and the construction of a new syndicate hall equipped with recording facilities. A designated faculty lounge named 'Lyari Jeans' has also been created, designed with a strong aesthetic focus. A new cafeteria is under construction for students, and renovations are ongoing at the university's gymnasium hall. Reflecting on the university's condition upon assuming office, Prof Mehdi described a dismal environment — broken windows, deteriorating ceilings, exposed electrical wiring, and classrooms without basic amenities such as fans. "It did not resemble a functioning university. Despite receiving no federal or provincial funding for these upgrades, we initiated and executed all renovation work independently to create a more conducive and respectable learning environment," he added.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ruth I. Kolpin Family Fund Awards Grants Totaling Over $110,000
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Community Foundation says they are proud to announce eight local organizations have been awarded a total of $110,926 through the Ruth I. Kolpin Family Fund. Torch run unites local law enforcement for Special Olympics Convenience store worker caught on surveillance stealing lottery tickets, police say Local ministry plans new thrift store and pantry expansion Carthage seniors return to elementary schools in cap and gown Carthage settles lawsuit with former city administrator Officials say the Ruth I. Kolpin Family Fund is a charitable fund established to support meaningful projects benefit Carthage and surrounding communities. The Carthage Community Foundation, along with representatives from the Ruth I. Kolpin Family Fund—Ron Peterson Sr. and Ron Peterson Jr.—say they celebrated these impactful investments with a Grants Luncheon held on May 16, where the 2025 grant recipients were formally honored and recognized. Kansas City University – KCU Community Smiles: $25,000 to support access to oral healthcare for underserved populations in the Joplin area. Mercy Health Foundation Southwest Missouri/Kansas – Pediatric Physical Therapy Refresh (PPTR): Keeping PT Access for Kids in Carthage: $25,000 to update pediatric physical therapy spaces and equipment, ensuring continued access for local Historic Preservation – Phelps House Restoration: $7,060 to repair and restorethe porch, Porte cochere ceiling, fascia, and first-floor window trim of the historicPhelps House. Boots Court Foundation – Motel Preservation Project: $20,000 to support continuedpreservation work at the iconic Boots Court Motel, a landmark of Carthage Area Catholic Schools – Technology Infrastructure Update: $17,216 to modernizeinfrastructure and upgrade servers, improving educational technology and learningenvironments. Vision Carthage – 2025 Athena Leadership Award: $1,650 to support the annual awardrecognizing exceptional women leaders in the Carthage community. American Red Cross – Disaster Financial Assistance: $7,000 to provide direct financialrelief to families impacted by local disasters. Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area – Community Action Ride System(CARS): $7,000 to improve access to transportation for low-income individuals and familiesthrough the expansion of community ride services. 'The generosity of the Kolpin family continues to create meaningful change throughout ourcommunity,' said John Nicholas, President of the Carthage Community Foundation. 'Thesegrants reflect a commitment to honoring the past while building for the future.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama lawmaker plans to revive failed religious vaccine exemption bill next year
Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City (center) speaks to Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, in the Alabama House of Representatives on April 29, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would have made it easier for parents to exempt their children from vaccine requirements failed to advance out of the Alabama Legislature this year. SB 85, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would have allowed parents to claim religious exemptions from vaccines for their children without requiring them to state a reason. The bill would have also required public colleges and universities to provide medical and religious exemptions to vaccine or testing requirements. But despite the bill's failure to become law, one lawmaker said he's committed to reintroducing the bill and feels confident it will pass in the next session. 'I plan to bring it back and continue to fight. We're going to keep chipping away until we feel like we've got our liberties back,' said Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, who introduced a companion bill in the House, in a phone interview Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill would have allowed parents or guardians to object to vaccination or testing requirements by submitting a written statement stating that the vaccination or testing conflicts with their religion as valid grounds for exemption from any school enrollment vaccine or testing requirement. It also specified that no additional forms, fees or documentation could be required of the parent, guardian or child for enrollment in any public K-12 school. The bill would have also extended these provisions to public colleges and universities. Alabama's measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination rate among kindergartners was 93.8% in the 2023-2024 school year, under the 95% rate set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to achieve herd immunity. An ongoing outbreak in West Texas that started with two unvaccinated school-age children in January has now spread to at least 29 other states. Orr said in a phone interview Friday that an amendment added by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, which he said proponents of the bill did not like, likely kept the bill from advancing in the House. The amendment would have required a student claiming a vaccine exemption to submit a board-approved physical evaluation form or the Alabama High School Athletic Association's Preparticipation Physical Education form, but it did not have an enforcement mechanism or sanctions for not submitting the form. 'Among the proponents, they were not happy with the Singleton amendment put on in the Senate,' Orr said. 'And among the opponents, they still want to stay with the status quo, which is a bit unnecessary, in my opinion.' Orr added that the House seemed reluctant to take up controversial bills toward the end of the session, adding that Butler would have to be asked for the specific reasons the bill didn't make it to the House floor. The bill passed the House Health Committee two weeks before the session ended, giving it enough time to be considered by the House, but Butler said that tension between the House and Senate toward the end of the session only allowed a number of priority bills to be passed. 'I don't think it was a priority either. The Back-the-Blue (package) was the big priority there at the last minute, which we did get across, but we have got to do a better job of waiting until the last minute on everything,' Butler said. Apriell Hartsfield, Kids Count director for VOICES for Alabama Children, who opposed the bill in its House committee hearing, said Monday that she was concerned about the potential impact on children's health and safety if similar legislation becomes law in the future. She said that declining vaccination rates can threaten community health, potentially leading to outbreaks and increased risk for everyone. She added that fewer vaccinated people lead to a higher risk for others, especially those who are immunocompromised or too young to be fully immunized. 'Our biggest concern are the most vulnerable of the children, and those are the children who are immunocompromised, so that they cannot, medically and for health reasons, get the immunizations, and then, of course, the youngest children, those who are too young to be fully immunized,' Hartsfield said. She said the existing process already allows parents to claim a religious exemption for required vaccines, and safeguards are in place to help public health officials address outbreaks effectively. Butler said he was concerned about the alleged adverse effects of vaccines, particularly the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that 'we're seeing so much, so many adverse effects from mainly the COVID vaccine, and now they're still pushing that out.' While rare adverse reactions related to the COVID-19 vaccine have been reported, such as anaphylaxis or myocarditis, the vaccine is considered safe, and these reactions are significantly less common than the severe health risks of a COVID-19 illness. Hartsfield said that discussions on the COVID-19 vaccine and school-required immunizations shouldn't be grouped together and that it's essential that parents and guardians understand the decades of research behind immunizations required in schools. She said that parents can't truly make an informed decision 'if we are reducing not just the accessibility to the vaccinations, but the accessibility to the information.' 'A lot of the misinformation that's out there, a lot of these things have been debunked over and over and again. It is the right of the parent to choose, but I think it's important that parents know what they're choosing, and that is where public health helps with that,' she said. Hartsfield also pointed to the economic impact that limiting vaccine access could have on the state and communities, saying that non-immunized children exposed to measles must be out for 21 days, which could impact working families. She also said that a measles outbreak or even a single case in a child care setting, which already faces challenges, could force closures. 'Alabama is right in the middle of states that have outbreaks. We don't have one yet, but as Dr. Scott Harris has said, it's really not a matter of if but when this is going to happen in Alabama,' she said. There were 1,024 confirmed measles cases across 30 states as of May 15, according to the CDC, where 96% of individuals are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
