Buddy Nix got pranked, and because of it Buffalo Bills fans and the rest of the NFL got an inside scoop about the fate of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Buffalo Bills general manager was tricked last week by two prank callers into giving out private details about the team’s plans, including the team’s growing discontentment with Fitzpatrick.

It happened when a couple of 20-year-olds called the Buffalo Bills front office claiming to be Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik. Apparently needing no verification, the front office transferred them right into the Nix’s office, but they panicked and hung up.

Buddy Nix was fooled but remained undeterred, however, and called them back multiple times through Thursday night and into Friday morning. It was then that the pair decided to try a play right out of a sitcom. They called the Buccaneers front office claiming to be Nix calling from the Bills. When Nix did call back, they patched him through and listened to the conversation between the two men.

“Dadgum, son,” Nix said to Dominik with a laugh and a voice that resembled Foghorn Leghorn, “I’ve called you back a hundred times!”

Seemingly unfazed by the fact that Dominik never actually called, Buddy Nix proceeded to give out details of the Bills free agent strategy, including his plans for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Nix said that if Fitzpatrick didn’t restructure his contract, they team would likely part ways. Fitzpatrick would cost the team $10.45 salary cap charge in 2013, which Nix deemed too expensive for someone whose starting job was not guaranteed.

“We’re still struggling here with our quarterback,” Nix said. “We’re not really struggling–he’s going to have to do something, or we’ll have to … We just can’t afford to pay that kind of money for a guy who’s fighting for probably a backup job.”

The information the prank callers got from Buddy Nix turned out to be prophetic. The Bills released Ryan Fitzpatrick on Tuesday.

Buddy Nix Gets Pranked: Bills GM Tricked Into Giving Team Details To Prank Callers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Liam Gallagher, the former lead singer of the British rock band Oasis, was kicked out of a pub last Sunday, as he was too drunk.

The Sun has reported that Gallagher wasn’t allowed into The Queens pub, which is located in Crouch End, on Sunday March 10, as he was slurring his words and acting drunk and disorderly in the establishment. Last Sunday was Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom.

A manager for the pub told the paper, “We just said we couldn’t serve him because he was too drunk. He was treated like any normal customer. It doesn’t matter who you are, if we think you are too drunk we will not serve you.”

The pub even took the peculiar stance of releasing the information via their Twitter account, writing, “We’ve had to kick Liam Gallagher out twice today. He asked whether it was because he was a rock star. We said no, just a drunken twit.” These comments were later deleted from the site.

Apparently, Gallagher visited the pub with his former Oasis bandmate, Bonehead, but as the venue was filled to the brim with families celebrating Mother’s Day so the manager made the decision to not let them in.

The source also revealed that the singer had been refused entry earlier in the week, noting, “He was fine about it and left without a fuss. He’d been refused a drink earlier in the week, I think it was Wednesday evening. He was slurring his words.”

Liam lives in the area with his wife, Nicole Appleton. Lydia Marriott, whose boyfriend works in the pub, tweeted, “It makes me happy that my boyfriend refused to serve Liam, forcing even rock stars to drink responsibly.”

Gallagher recently revealed that he believes that Psy’s, Gangham Style, is an “absolute classic.” What do you think of Liam Gallagher?

Liam Gallagher Barred From Pub For Being Too Drunk is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rice University researchers in Houston, Texas have uncovered a correlation between cardiac arrest and ozone pollution.

Ozone is found naturally in small concentrations in the stratosphere, a layer of Earth’s upper atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone is referred to as “good” ozone because it protects the Earth’s surface from dangerous ultraviolet light.

Ozone can also be found in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere. Tropospheric ozone is man-made, a result of air pollution, and is termed “bad” ozone or smog. This ozone is composed of automobile exhaust, industrial emissions, nitrogen oxide gases and volatile organic compounds, all by-products of burning gasoline and coal.

The nitrogen oxide gases and volatile compounds combine chemically with oxygen to form ozone during warm, sunny conditions.

High levels of ozone are usually formed in the heat of the afternoon and dissipate during the cooler evening temperatures.

Cardiac arrest is the cessation of normal blood circulation due to the heart failing to contract effectively. Cardiac arrest and heart attacks differ in how the blood flow to the heart muscle is impaired. Cardiac arrest is caused when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions, causing a dysrhythmia.

Arrested blood circulation prevents delivery of oxygen to the rest of the body. Lack of oxygen to the brain causes loss of consciousness. If left untreated for more than a few minutes, cardiac arrest can result in a neurological impairment and death. Survival and brain health requires immediate medical attention.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 360,000 cardiac arrests are addressed by emergency medical services annually in the United States.

The Houston-based research, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, cited the potential need to increase CPR training in at-risk communities.

The treatment for cardiac arrest is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to reestablish circulatory support, followed by defibrillation if available. Defibrillation is a common treatment for life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, and consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the heart. This is achieved with a device called a defibrillator. The shock depolarizes a critical mass of the heart muscle, terminating the dysrhythmia, and allowing the normal rhythm to return.

The American Lung Association ranks Houston eighth in the United States for high-ozone days, therefore the Rice researchers set out to see if there was a link between their frequently high ambient ozone levels and cardiac arrest.

Statisticians involved in the Rice University research, Katherine Ensor and Loren Raun, revealed their findings at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

Eight years’ worth of data was analyzed, drawn from both the Houston’s network of air-quality monitors and more than 11,600 cardiac arrests (OHCA) logged by Houston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from 2004 to 2011. Only OHCA events requiring chest compressions were used in the study.

Patients died in more than 90 percent of the cases reviewed. These deaths occurred more during the hot summer months, making up 55 percent of total cases.

Each year an average of 1,400 people in Houston have a cardiac arrest outside the hospital, and about 1,260 deaths occur. If the research findings are valid, they suggest that about 45 of these deaths are related to increases in ozone levels

Researchers found a relationship between logged OHCAs and exposure to both fine particulate matter (airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrograms) and ozone. The risk of cardiac arrest increased by 4.6 percent with an emergent density of particulate matter of 6 mcg, especially in individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

When examining the increases of ozone effects, a similar trend was found. OHCA risk peaked at 4.4 percent with each increase of 20 parts-per billion (ppb) of ozone over one to three hours, especially for men, African-Americans, and people over 65.

[Image via Wikicommons]

Ozone Pollution Levels Linked To Cardiac Arrest is a post from: The Inquisitr

Joss Whedon has been discussing the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII movie, which will be directed by JJ Abrams.

The Avengers director has given his opinion on the return of Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill, to the franchise, suggesting that they should remain in the original trilogy.

“You know, I wouldn’t go back, I’d go forward,” stated Whedon. “I would want to create characters that would resonate the way that they did. I mean not that I don’t want to see [the new movies], I would be excited to, but I also feel like I would want to explore a very different part of that universe.”

Whedon was talking to Digital Spy, who then asked him whether or not he was excited by the idea of a Han Solo spin-off film, which would feature a younger version of the character, however he still wasn’t impressed.

“That I would never want to do,” remarked Whedon. “Some things may not be rebooted.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been voted as Digital Spy reader’s first choice to play Han Solo in a standalone movie. He beat Nathan Fillion into second place, whilst Jensen Ackles, who starred in Supernatural, was placed in third.

Tom Hardy, Ryan Gosling, and Chris Evans rounded off the list. A Han Solo film is due to be set before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope so would need a younger actor to step into Ford’s character.

Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing, had its premiere earlier this week, but the director did reveal one regret he had about the production.

“My only regret is that we didn’t have a Stedicam, so we couldn’t experience the flow of the house,” stated Whedon. “One of the joys of it is how one room opens up into another. I feel like I let the house down. I didn’t use its best takes.”

Joss Whedon Discusses The Return Of Original ‘Star Wars’ Cast is a post from: The Inquisitr

Helena, MT — A Montana has pleaded guilty to waterboarding four children as a “learning experience.”

The 42-year-old man pleaded guilty Friday to four misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.  The man struck a plea deal with prosecutors and had felony charges, which included making threats against public officials, dropped.

Two of the children were the Jefferson County man’s 9-year-old and 12-year-old sons. The other two children were neighbors, ages 13 and 15.

District Judge James B. Wheelis sentenced the Montana man to 180 days in jail for each charge, all of which have been suspended. Minus the 80 days he has already spent in custody, the man will face two years of probation.

The man was arrested on December 5 after his then-girlfriend walked in on him simulating drowning his sons. The woman said he straddled the boys and placed his hand over their face and mouth and dumped water over their faces. He called it a learning experience for the boys, his ex-girlfriend said. The former girlfriend also said that she had her fingers and wrist broken when she tried to stop the children from being waterboarded.

The two teen neighbors told a Child Protective Service worker that they had been waterboarded as well.

This isn’t the first time a father has been accused of waterboarding his own children. In August 2012, a Delaware pediatrician was arrested after his daughter accused him of waterboarding her while her mother watched and did nothing. Dr. Melvin Morse and his wife Pauline both faced abuse charges stemming from incidents of abuse against their two daughters, ages 5 and 11.

The 11-year-old said the abuse began in May 2009 and continued for two years. Morse’s particular form of waterboarding involved running the girl’s face under a running faucet. Morse also told her he was going to wrap her in a blanket to keep her from moving.

In 2010, a Nebraska man waterboarded his girlfriend by tying her to a sofa with belts and headbands, stuffing socks in her mouth, and then putting a t-shirt over her head and pouring water over her face. The 22-year-old, Trevor Case, also tied her ankles with a vacuum cleaner cord. He threatened her with a knife, but only “prodded her once in the side of the stomach.” Case had also been convicted once before for assaulting the same girlfriend.

What do you think should happen to the man who waterboarded his sons and two other children?

Montana Man Pleads Guilty To Waterboarding Four Kids is a post from: The Inquisitr

North Carolina scientists at Duke University have determined women require more sleep than men, but it is unlikely women are getting adequate rest. Therefore females are more aggressive, hostile, and irritated due to insufficient sleep.

Researchers tracked 210 men and women, questioning them about how they felt and testing blood. Not only were women who slept poorly grumpier than guys, but they were at higher risk for serious health problems.

When women skimp on sleep they endure physiological, emotional, and mental penalties. Women suffer from a heightened risk of depression and stroke from sleep deprivation.

The study, appearing online in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found that poor sleep was responsible for greater psychological distress and higher levels of biomarkers associated with heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Fibrinogen blood clotting factors linked to strokes and inflammation markers associated with pain were directly influenced, as the research found women particularly susceptible to the influence of a sleep deficit.

Men’s levels of side-effects from a lack of sleep were negligible in comparison. Men showed no notable increase in developing the ailments that affected women when they lost sleep.

Dr. Michael Breus, sleep expert, was able to determine women can literally be in more pain when they wake up, especially when they are sleep-deprived. Dr. Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in Sleep Disorders and Neuropsychological Testing.

Breus suggests making up for the loss of quality rest by strategically napping 25 or 90 minutes when able. Recouping some of the deficit is better than none at all.

The necessity of surplus sleep in women is because of exhaustive multi-tasking thought processes. This manner of problem solving and extensive planning can be particularly stressful and require more time to purge persistent thoughts prior to dozing off.

Women are more prone to this manner of multi-task thinking, but some men with especially demanding decision-making occupations may also require additional down time.

The function of sleep allows the body time to recover and repair. Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep, either chronic or acute. A chronic sleep restriction can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and clumsiness. It unfavorably affects both mobility and cognitive functions. Complete absence of sleep over long periods is impossible for humans to achieve as eventually biological mechanisms will force the body to acquire rest. However the quality under those circumstances is less satisfying.

Scientists urge loving male partners to be more understanding of their grumpier female counterparts, allowing her extra snooze time, or else face the consequences.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Women Are Grumpier Than Men In The Morning is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Maryland woman ticketed for driving 63 mph in a 65 mph zone isn’t taking the infraction sitting down.

After a police officer pulled her over on Interstate 95 for driving 2 mph under the speed limit in the left lane, the woman refused to remain silent about it. Speaking to a local NBC affiliate, the unnamed woman said she couldn’t believe that an officer would pull her over for obeying the speed limit.

“[I was] really shocked,” she told the station. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, you’ve got to be kidding me.’ ”

The woman said she was driving 63 mph in the 65-mph zone because weather conditions were difficult for driving — there were heavy winds at the time and the woman said the lower speed was necessary as a precaution.

“Sometimes when it’s dangerous, you have to do what you can to stay safe,” she said.

Police claimed a different story. They said the woman didn’t belong in the left lane, which is for speedier drivers passing those in other lanes.

Many on the internet agreed with police. When a news article about the ticket for driving 63 mph in a 65-mph zone was posted to Reddit, most commenters took the side of the police officers. Many of them argued that it is unsafe to obstruct the flow of traffic by driving slowly in the passing lane, while a few sided with the woman and pointed out that those in the passing lane shouldn’t legally be driving over 65 mph anyway.

That’s an argument that her local branch of AAA seems to agree with.

“The reason [the ticket] is silly is because it’s sending the wrong message,” said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic. “And that is, ‘We will tolerate you driving at more than the speed limit, but it you drive below the speed limit, then you’re penalized for that.’”

Do you think police were right to ticket the woman driving 63 mph in a 65-mph zone?

Maryland Woman Ticketed For Driving 63 MPH In 65-MPH Zone is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Miami Heat soundly beat the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. The Heat have now won 19 straight games and look as if they are going to be cruising into the playoffs as the number one seed in the Eastern conference of the NBA.

The 98-81 victory comes just two days after the Heat won their 18th straight game over the Indiana Pacers by a 14 point margin (105-91). During the streak, the Heat have been putting teams away more often than not as this was the 12th time in 19 games that Miami has won by double digits.

Perhaps for the first time, some of the players in Miami are acknowledging that this streak is something to take notice of. Lebron James was perhaps the first to acknowledge that fact after the game.

Standing at his locker his team’s latest victory, James said, “‘Let’s be honest, guys, we’re not sitting here and saying this is not something special. This is an unbelievable streak that we’re on.”

The Miami Heat were lead on Tuesday by Dwyane Wade’s 23 points, six assists and four rebounds. James contributed 15 points with seven assists and seven rebounds.

Wade made the comment that while their offense has been top notch during the streak, “leading with our defense has been the key for us.” Tonight the team will hope that their defense can continue to lead as they look for their 20th straight win.

Only three teams have won 20 straight games in a season n in NBA history and Miami is slowly creeping towards the all time record for consecutive wins. The 1970-1971 Milwaukee Bucks won 20, the 2007-2008 Houston Rockets won 22 straight and the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers hold the league record for consecutive wins in a season with 33 straight.

The Miami Heat are now just 14 games away from tieing the NBA record and should they get to that mark would be in line to attempt to set the record on April 9th against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Miami Heat Beat Atlanta Hawks For 19th Straight Victory is a post from: The Inquisitr

Deion Sanders has reportedly won the custody battle with his estranged wife over their three children.

A jury decided on Tuesday that Sanders will be responsible for making all of the educational, health and extracurricular decisions for their two children. The athlete and his wife Pilar will both make choices concerning their 9-year-old daughter.

Pilar said she was “flabbergasted” when she learned that Deion Sanders had won the child custody battle. Her lawyer said they intend to appeal the decision as soon as possible.

“I’m thankful; I’m elated. In any war, there will be casualties, but I didn’t want the casualties in this case to be my kids,” the athlete said following the hearing.

Deion Sanders will have primary custody of all three children. Both parties were interested in getting sole custody of the kids.

Unfortunately for Deion and Pilar, their legal battles have only just begun. The two are currently in the middle of getting a divorce. The estranged couple are expected to return to court to fight over finances.

Deion Sanders reportedly filed for divorce from his wife in 2011. The couple were involved in a domestic dispute roughly a year later.

The incident reportedly occurred on April 23, 2012. After the Deion and Pilar got into a heated argument, the athlete’s wife allegedly struck him several times. This prompted him to pick her up by the waist and carry her from the room. The couple were hit with assault charges.

Although both parties sought restraining orders, only Deion was granted protection from his wife. She was required to remain 500 feet away from the couple’s Texas home at all times.

A visitation schedule and child support have yet to be determined as of this writing. All of this will be figured out at a later date.

Do you think Deion Sanders should have won custody of his children?

[Top Image by Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com - Bottom Image by Wikimedia Commons]

Deion Sanders Wins Custody Battle Over Children is a post from: The Inquisitr

Xi3 has responded to comments about their new Piston PC gaming device that Valve made yesterday. Valve, the company that owns and operates Steam issued a statement on Tuesday which made it clear that they no longer had any involvement with the Piston.

Whether the leaders at Xi3 felt that their company was being unfairly maligned or whether they simply wanted to keep their name in the press, the company released a statement in which it detailed what their involvement with Valve had been before now.

The founder, president and CEO of the company, Jason A. Sullivan issued a statement in which he said “We reaffirm the fact that we received an investment from Valve Corporation (as we previously disclosed during the 2013 International CES trade show), and we did so with Valve’s written permission.”

Sullivan added that Valve’s CEO Gabe Newell had asked him not to divulge just how much of a relationship the two companies had. Sullivan said that he honored that request up until now.

Xi3 was asked by Valve, according to Sullivan to build the Piston and that both companies showed off the device at their respective booths at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Perhaps the most important tidbit of information that Sullivan wants consumers to know is that the Piston won’t be reliant on Steam. While the device will have certain interoperability with the video game store, it will actually be running a Microsoft Windows OS.

Sullivan pointed out that, at the moment the vast majority of computer games out there are built to run on Windows. He also hinted that Valve and his company disagree as to whether or not a gaming console like this needs to be able to run exclusively on Steam.

The Xi3 Piston, which is available for pre-order now and will reportedly launch this Holiday season comes with a price tag of around $1,000.

Xi3 Reponds To Valve Comments About Piston is a post from: The Inquisitr

ALMA, the world’s largest space array, opened on Wednesday. Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) is not just the largest space array but the largest ground-based astronomical observatory of any kind. To allow for the best sky viewing possible from planet earth, it was constructed in the driest habitat on earth — Chilé’s Atacama Desert, where it essentially doesn’t rain. Because of the lack of rainfall, the region has become a world center for astronomy, and ALMA was sparked by a partnership with North American, European, Taiwanese, and Japanese groups.

Some areas of the Atacama Desert have not seen a drop of rain in 400 years, and the average annual rainfall is 0.004 inches of rain per year. The ALMA space array was built on the Altiplano de Chajnantor, a plateau in high, dry mountains at an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level. ALMA officials said that the average rainfall at this location is less than 100 millimeters.

The ALMA space array was designed to capture radio waves from outer space that are just millimeters in wavelength. In a wet climate, some radio waves would be absorbed or scattered before reaching the array.

The original Very Large Array consisting of 27 antennas is near Socorro, New Mexico, also in a dry climate. In addition to its many astronomical discoveries, that site played a role in the 1997 movie Contact.

With 66 antennas, ALMA is far larger and is expected to be capable of even more ground-breaking — or should that be sky-shattering? — observations.

The large space arrays could be considered as a kind of hack. By creating the separate large but manageable moveable parts, astronomers can construct the equivalent of a much larger radio telescope. It would take a single telescope 14,000 meters in diameter to perform the same job as the 66 smaller telescopes in ALMA.

Thijs de Graaw, ALMA’s director, said that the large space array will look at how planets and stars were formed, but it will also go far beyond that to study the origins of the universe at the time of the Big Bang.

Here’s a look at the last pieces of the world’s largest space array being moved into place, courtesy of C. Padilla and ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO).

[Credit for top photo of construction work: ALMA (ESO / NAOJ / NRAO), W. Garnier
Acknowledgement: General Dynamics C4 Systems]

World’s Largest Space Array Opens Wednesday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Justin Bieber’s mom has expressed interest in being the next Bachelorette.

Pattie Mallette is a pretty big fan of the popular ABC’s dating competition. She even spent quite a bit of time Monday night tweeting during the season 11 finale of The Bachelor. It was during these comments that Bieber’s mom said she was interested in being the next Bachelorette.

“Who will be the next Bachelorette? Me perhaps?” Mallette tweeted at one point during the program.

Although Bieber’s was likely joking when she made the statement, she actually has a connection with host Chris Harrison. The pair reportedly went out on a date not too long ago. Pattie even posted a picture of herself with Harrison at one of her son’s shows on Twitter.

“No real sparks, but they had a blast,” a source said of the date. “She’s known Chris before and they are acquaintances. No real romance though.”

Bieber’s mom may have been joking about appearing on The Bachelorette, but her appreciation for the reality show is very real. Mallette tweeted several times over the course of The Bachelor’s season finale. Judging from her comments, Pattie is a pretty big fan.

“OMG OMG OMG!!!!! NOOOOO. Seriously Sean??????? This is definitely, by far … the Most Dramatic Season Finale EVER!” she tweeted during the program.

Once the show was over, Bieber’s mom seemed pleased with how everything played out.

“Ok that proposal was really amazing. She won me over in the end. And they ride off in an elephant together!? I’m happy 4 U,” she said in conclusion.

If Bieber’s mom is serious about taking a stab at The Bachelorette, then she may have to wait until future installments of the series. ABC has already announced that Desiree Hartsock will star in the next season of the reality show.

What do you think about Justin Bieber’s saying she wants to be the next Bachelorette? Would you watch the show if she was on it?

[Top Image by Photo Works / Shutterstock.com]

Justin Bieber’s Mom Wants To Be The Next ‘Bachelorette’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Officials have stated that the poisoned alcohol death toll in Libya continues to rise.

At least 60 people have been killed from drinking homemade alcohol which contained methanol. Authorities believe that as many as 700 people have been harmed from drinking the illegal brews.

Although officials have stated that the poisoned alcohol death toll continues to rise, pinpointing an exact number has been difficult. While some news organizations have stated that as many as 60 people have died from these homemade concoctions, others suggest that the poisoning has claimed the lives of 79 individuals.

Minister Nouri Doghman said that people have experienced life-threatening side effects from the poisoned alcohol. While some suffered blindness after consuming the homemade substance, others experienced kidney failure. A handful of victims have also slipped into comas.

Since alcohol is illegal in the country, Libyans often turn to the black market to get the drinks. Since there are no regulations in place to make sure these beverages are safe for human consumption, a lot of people are being poisoned.

Authorities stated that the alcohol is often crafted inside private homes or deserted farms. Doctors, hospitals, and medical professionals in and around Tripoli have been put on emergency stand-by in case the poisoned alcohol death toll continues to rise.

The Libyan health ministry has asked citizens not to consume any alcoholic beverages in an attempt to keep people from getting hurt. In addition to being against laws of Islam, authorities are concerned about the overall health of Libyan citizens.

A drink known locally as “Bokha” has been singled out as one of the major contributors to the alcohol poisoning. The drink, which is distilled from figs, dates, and grapes, is sold illegally in the capital and its suburbs. Authorities are asking people to stay away from the drink.

Officials believe the poisoned alcohol death toll will continue to rise. The ministry is currently investigating the matter.

[Image by Shutterstock]

Poisoned Alcohol Death Roll Rises In Libya is a post from: The Inquisitr

Alien life may or may not exist, but we know now that there are far more earthlike planets out there than we previously imagined. Ravi Kopparapu, a researcher from Penn State who will be publishing his findings in an upcoming issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters, has recalculated the chances of finding earth-sized planets in our galaxy and discovered that they’re about twice as common as we thought.

While previous estimates said that the nearest possible earth was about 14 light years away, Kopparapu’s estimate placed the nearest habitable planet at about 7 light years out and maybe even as close as 6.5 light years. “This is a good sign for detecting extraterrestrial life,” he told New Scientist.

The recent discovery of Kepler 37b, the world’s smallest planet outside our solar system, also offered new hope that there are plenty of smaller planets out there available for the development of life in our galaxy.

But is it really such a good sign?

If there are so many earthlike planets, and if they are all teeming with life, then where the heck are they? The so-called Fermi Paradox was first posed in the twentieth century by Enrico Fermi, an Italian physicist known for his work on the first nuclear reactor. He ran some back-of-the-envelope calculations and suggested that in a universe billions of years old, even if they could never travel anywhere near the speed of light, any aliens that developed before humans did would have long ago had the time to seed every possible habitable planet.

And, in fact, Charles Cockell, Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh, is planning to give an address this week to the UK’s prestigious Royal Society that makes the same argument. According to the Society, 800 planets outside of our solar system have already been found, and scientists need to set an agenda about how they will deal with the discovery of alien life.

Professor Cockell will argue that vacant habitats on earth almost never stay vacant for long. Life moves in quickly to exploit an empty space. “It is dangerous to assume life is common across the universe – it encourages people to think that not finding signs of life is a ‘failure’ when in fact it would tell us a lot about the origins of life,” he has said.

It’s a little frustrating, isn’t it? Here it is, the 21st century, and we still don’t have our jetpacks or our alien life.

[Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)]

No Alien Life Yet But Many More Earthlike Planets Found is a post from: The Inquisitr

Peter Banks, a founding member of the British band Yes, died last Thursday in his London home from heart failure. He was 65.

A statement from fellow Yes band members said:

“We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of fellow bandmate and founding Yes member, Peter Banks. He was a huge piece of the fabric that made Yes what it is, and our thoughts, sincere condolences, and prayers are with him and his family. Peter, we shall miss you greatly.”

Another former member of Yes, Billy Sherwood, also mourned the guitarist’s sudden passing.

“I loved working with Peter on the many records I have produced over the years,” he said. “He always delivered amazing stuff, creative, inspires and always with that classic original Yes flavor that came with his playing. He will be missed by me and many, many other fans of his music and playing.”

According to the Telegraph, Banks, along with singer Jon Anderson and bass guitarist Chris Squire, formed Yes in 1968. Banks is said to have came up with the name for the group and was a part of the band when it recorded its first two albums, 1969′s Yes and 1970′s Time and a Word.

He departed the band in 1970 due to disagreements over the direction they were headed with their sound.

Following his run with Yes, Peter went on to form two bands, Flash and Empire, and between the two groups, released seven more albums.

Banks also spent time recording several solo albums, releasing his first work, Two Sides of Peter Banks in 1973, followed by four more solo albums: Instinct, Self-Contained, Reduction and Can I Play You Something?.

You can listen to some of Banks’ solo work below:

Peter Banks Dies: Yes Guitarist Passes Away At 65 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic 106-97 Tuesday in Dwight Howard’s first return to Orlando since being traded to the Lakers this past offseason. Howard scored a season-high 39 points and added 16 rebounds in the win.

Dwight Howard made 16-of-20 free throws in the second half to hold off his former team. Howard took 39 shots from the free throw line in the game, tying a career high in attempts.

Kobe Bryant finished with just 11 points, seven rebounds and eight assists against the Magic. Bryant couldn’t find his rhythm, shooting just over 28 percent going 4-for-14 from the field.

Metta World Peace scored 14 points for the Lakers while Steve Nash added 11 points and two assists. Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks both finished in double-figures off the bench.

The Orlando crowd gave Howard one heck of a time during the game, flashing signs at the All-Star all night including one that said “Dwight Coward.” The chants and signs had no affect on Howard as he put up some of the best numbers he has all season.

The Magic were led by point guard Jameer Nelson, who finished with 21 points and seven assists. Nikola Vucevic became Dwight Howard’s replacement after the trade, and has been pretty good this season. Vucevic is fifth in the NBA in rebounding and finished with 11  Tuesday night.

Tobias Harris was surprisingly great for the Magic in the loss, scoring 15 points in the first half alone. Harris finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stick with the Lakers.

Orlando has lost five of their first seven game in the month of March, and sport one of the worst records in all of basketball. The Magic let go of many stars this offseason, including Dwight Howard and Jason Richardson, that has led to their fall in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers have won four straight games and are playing their best basketball of the season. The streak has moved the Lakers above the Utah Jazz for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are just two games behind the Golden State Warriors for second in the Pacific Division. The teams only loss in March came against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder a little over a week ago.

Kobe Bryant and company take their streak to Atlanta Wednesday for a meeting with the Hawks. The Hawks have lost three straight as they look to hold on to one of the last playoff spots in the East.

A few weeks ago the Lakers were in the middle of one of their worst starts in history and everyone was waiting to see them perform up to their talent level, which has finally come just at the right time. The Lakers beat the Magic as Dwight Howard returns to Orlando and puts on a show in one of his most dominating performances of the season.

Lakers Beat Magic, Howard Scores 39 is a post from: The Inquisitr

At least two militants attacked a paramilitary camp in the contested region of Kashmir today, killing five Indian solders. The two known insurgents died in the resulting firefight.

The attack took place on the Indian side of the disputed region of Kashmir. Tensions have been high in the region since India recently hung Afzal Guru for his role in the 2001 attack on India’s parliament.

Police have not yet determined if more than two people were involved in the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force base.

“A division of the CRPF was deployed at a camp here and children were playing cricket in the field when two militants fired grenades and attacked our division,” Abdul Gani Mir, inspector general of police, told Reuters. “We have lost five of our CRPF personnel who gunned down the two militants.”

The attack took place just outside the city of Srinagar. At least seven soldiers were wounded along with multiple civilians.

India and Pakistan have long contended for control over Kashmir. The two nations fought two of their three wars over the region. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 established the borders that have largely remained to this day, with half the region falling within India and roughly one-third falling within Pakistan with a contested border between them. The 1965 war ended in a stalemate and resulted in a UN-negotiated ceasefire. Both countries continue to claim authority to control Kashmir, while many Kashmiris wish to be separate from both and become an independent state.

Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack. They seek for Kashmir to become a part of Pakistan. They were the most active military group during the height of unrest in the region.

Kashmir attacks against Indian control were frequent in the 1990s, but they have since slowed down significantly.

[Images via Wikimedia Commons]

Kashmir Attack Leaves 7 Dead is a post from: The Inquisitr

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have reportedly split.

Several sources stated that the couple have decided to take a break from their relationship. Rumors about turmoil behind-the-scenes were recently fueled when Cyrus was spotted at a Hollywood party without her engagement ring.

“Miley and Liam are done; it’s over. She likes to party really hard and can be pretty wild. It became a problem for him,” one source explained to the New York Post.

Another insider added, “They have broken up before, and are broken up again now. There was drama because she suspected he had a wandering eye. And she recently tweeted a denial that he cheated.”

While Hemsworth may have had problems with his fiance’s wild ways, it’s the Expendables 2 star who stands accused to stepping out on his woman. Liam reportedly cheated with Mad Men star January Jones shortly before the Oscars.

Sources have also stated that Liam Hemsworth was caught flirting with Perks of Being a Wallflower co-star Emma Watson. Reports suggested that Hemsworth was “chatting closely” with the actress while placing his hands on her shoulder, knee, and hand.

Miley Cyrus was also spotted out on the town last week without her fiance. The Hannah Montana alum was seen leaving a house party in North Hollywood late Thursday evening. The so-called “mystery man” she was with turned out to be Hemsworth’s buddy Paul Khoury.

Cyrus previously addressed the supposed split with Hemsworth on Twitter last week. After people began speculating about the absence of her engagement ring, the singer complained that she was “drained” by these reports.

“I am so sick of LA. And sick of the lies that come with it. I didn’t call off my wedding. Taking a break from social media,” she tweeted.

Despite rumors of a break-up, a source told People that the wedding was still moving forward.

“They have a very strong physical attraction, but have very different personalities and backgrounds. This makes their relationship very complicated,” the insider revealed.

Although several sources have stated that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have split, nothing about the separation has been confirmed by anyone associated with the couple.

[Top Image Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com]

Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth Have Split [Rumor] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mitch Seavey, 53, became the oldest person to win Alaska’s Iditarod dog race.

Seavey, who also won the Iditarod in 2004, finished the course in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes and 56 seconds. Aliy Zirkle finished in second, 24 minutes behind the oldest winner in history.

Zirkle, who was hoping to become the first woman to win the race since 1990, attributed Seavey’s win to his experience.

Zirkle said: “You did a good job … You’re going to win this thing, probably more than once … Mitch has this ability to sit on the sidelines and refuel because he knows he needs to refuel, while everyone else is zooming by. It’s smart, and that’s probably why you won.”

After Seavey and his 10 dogs crossed the line, at about 10:39 p.m local time last night, he said: “This is for all of the gentlemen of a certain age.”

Heavey wasn’t the only old-timer in the race this year. Jeff King, a four time winner, ran toward the front of the pack during this year’s Iditarod. According to spokeswoman Erin McLarnon, the top racer’s last year were mostly composed of young men and women.

McLarnon said: “Last year, we saw a lot of those youngsters in the top 10 … Some of those 45-plussers are taking back the lead this year. They are showing the young ‘uns what they can really do out there on that trail.”

Seavey will walk away from the Iditarod this year with $50,400 and a new 2013 Dodge Ram truck. The top 30 mushers will split the remainder of the $600,000 purse.

Seavey achieved the fastest time this year but his 9 day, 7 hour pace was well behind the fastest time in history. John Baker won the Iditarod in 2011 in just 8 days, 18 hours, 46 minutes and 39 seconds.

Mitch’s win this year means that the Seavey family now holds the record for oldest and youngest winners. His son, Dallas Seavey, became the youngest person in history to win the race when he crossed the finish line last year at the age of 25.

Iditarod Winner Mitch Seavey Is Oldest In History is a post from: The Inquisitr

Steubenville rape trial opening arguments were uttered on Wednesday. The two Big Red football stars accused of raping an incapacitated teenage girl garnered national attention and wreaked havoc on the small Ohio town. The Anonymous online group took the Steubenville rape case story viral after claims that special treatment were being given to the two football stars accused of raping a 16-year-old West Virginia girl during an allegedly drunken victory party.

The rape allegedly occurred in August. Photos and video from the Steubenville High School Big Red party went viral online. Video related to the alleged rape was reportedly plastered on social media outlets, prompting backlash from numerous groups, including the Ohio NOW branch.

A video allegedly from the Steubenville rape posted on YouTube shows young men making lewd jokes about a passed out teenage girl being sexually assaulted. The graphic language used to describe the alleged Big Red football team rape prompted even more outrage about the Ohio case.

Both Steubenville High School wide receiver Ma’Lik Richmond and star quarterback Trent Mays appeared in Jefferson County Juvenile Court on Wednesday. Prosecutors claim the football players raped the 16-year-old girl both in a basement and a car. The young woman was allegedly unable to given consent to the sexual encounters because she was “in a stupor” the entire time.

Ma’Lik Richmond and Trent Mays have vehemently denied the charges levied against them in the Steubenville rape case. Dozens of witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense are scheduled to take the stand during trial. The alleged teenage victim will also reportedly be taking the stand during the Steubenville trial. The young woman reportedly told investigating police officers that she does not remember the alleged sexual assault.

Prosecutors will be using an Instagram photo as evidence against the Big Red football players. The photo reportedly shows Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’Lik Richmond, 16, carrying the teenage girl out of a house by her arms and legs.

Three uncharged Steubenville High School football players who have not been charged in connection with the Big Red rape will allegedly be witnesses for the prosecution. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, a West Virginia judge recently ruled that two teenagers from his state cannot be compelled to travel back to Ohio and testify for the defense.

The defense attorney for Trent Mays made a motion to request the judge throw out the case due to the lack of availability of material witnesses from West Virginia. Mays’ attorney claims that the witnesses could testify about how much alcohol the alleged victim consumed during the Steubenville High School Big Red victory party. The lawyer also maintains that the West Virginia witnesses could also testify about the comments the young woman supposedly made the morning after the alleged rape.

A breaking news reports about the Steubenville rape trial claims that the two West Virginia witnesses are now being compelled to testify, but the statement is currently unconfirmed. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin at 10:30 am.

What do you think about the Steubenville rape trial?

[Image Via: Shutterstock.com]

Steubenville Rape Trial Begins is a post from: The Inquisitr