Category Archives: Moon Colonization

Published on Oct 18, 2021, 11:37 pm

Move over Starlink, NASA's new study has pitched a plan to help America's internet coverage issues. It entails setting up the internet on the Moon for when we colonize its surface. A byproduct would be reliable internet access on Earth as well. This comes as an effort to address the unequal distribution of access to decently fast internet across the US. Here's more.

This wild idea originated when an economic development organization called the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) approached NASA for assistance with bridging digital inequality. Moreover, Cleveland is home to the space agency's Glenn Research Center and a study by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance found that 31% of the city's households don't have broadband internet. This set the premise for NASA to step in.

NASA parallelly acknowledged that connectivity would eventually be a problem on the Moon, once its colonization is initialized by the fast-approaching Artemis mission launch deadline. Now that NASA has three good reasons to help solve internet connectivity issues in (areas like) Cleveland and on the Moon, it's about time we looked at what it plans to do.

NASA's Compass Lab at Glenn applied lunar connectivity solutions to the problem in Cleveland. Its study found that attaching 20,000 Wi-Fi routers to lampposts would solve Cleveland's connectivity issues. NASA claims that spaced 100 yards apart, the routers would deliver 7.5 Mbps download speeds to a four-person home. Moving routers closer would greatly improve bandwidth, the space agency added.

Based on the space agency's study, Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking estimates from companies interested in providing affordable internet access in the county. The county's chief innovation and performance officer Catherine Tkachyk said, "NASA's work helps set the stage for evaluation of the RFP responses to determine the most effective plan for connecting our neighborhoods."

Speaking of internet connectivity on the Moon, NASA conceptualized a Cleveland-like basecamp for humans at Malapert Massif near the Moon's south pole. The camp meets NASA's requirements for sun exposure, in-situ resource utilization, and line-of-sight communications with Earth. Lunar internet would facilitate high-rate communications between surface explorers on the Moon including astronauts, rovers, landers, and habitats. However many unknowns remain.

NASA's idea of lunar Wi-Fi remains largely theoretical. Scientists admit that while lunar Wi-Fi won't have to deal with interference from other appliances like on Earth, it also won't have electricity, infrastructure, and a root-level internet connection to begin with. That said, it's probably time we thought of a Wi-Fi network name for the Moon, yes?

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Will we be able to access Wi-Fi on Moon soon? - NewsBytes

Several of my colleagues in the Northwest have been sending me pictures of the Tetons and the Rocky Mountains all summer. Many times, you cant see the peaks of these mammoth outcroppings because of the smoke from the rampant wildfires that have plagued the West. This region normally offers pristine views and crisp, clean air, but not in the past several years. Masks are being worn, and not totally in response to COVID-19, to somewhat filter the lingering smoke from penetrating ones lungs. I can only imagine the stress inflicted upon mountain sheep, elk, weasels, and the other living creatures, both flora and fauna, that inhabit this land. Timber damage is horrific. Soils are exposed and are now vulnerable to extensive erosion when, and if, rainfall ever returns to this region. To cap it off, many homes and lives have also been disrupted and lost from the impact of these fires. Drought, and I mean extreme and prolonged drought, is the culprit. What a tragedy!

Here at home, we struggle to work our land, plant, and harvest our crops, and even cut our lawns due to extreme wet conditions for much of the year. In the recent years, prolonged flooding, due to abnormally high rainfall, has flooded our fields and homes. What our friends out west would do for some of our moisture and what we would do to be able to offer it to them. It is hard to comprehend the vast differences between the two landscapes less than 1,000 miles from here. Hold that thought, for now.

The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-longest drainage system on the North American continent, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. She originates from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and flows generally south to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. I was taught in grade school the word Mississippi came from Native Americans meaning Father of Waters. Other names listed, rendered from Mississippi, include Great River, Elk River, Big River, and Miserable Wretched Dirty Water River. I like Father of Waters.

Approximately 50,000 years ago, the Central United States was covered by an inland sea, this being an area drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries into the Gulf of Mexico. The soils in this area, including our own Mississippi Delta, were found to be very rich in fertility. This area was first settled by hunting and gathering Native Americans and is considered one of the few centers of plant domestication in human history. There is evidence of early cultivation of sunflower, marsh elder, a species of goosefoot, and squash, dating back to the fourth millennium BC. The history of this river is vast, and volumes of books have been written about this body of water that include, but are not limited to, European exploration, American colonization, the Civil War, the steamboat era, and the importance as a waterway for commerce and trade. I could go on and on, but lets just go back to the river, in the literal sense.

Ecologically speaking, the Mississippi is home to a diverse aquatic fauna and has been called the mother fauna, of North American fresh water. Approximately 375 species of fish inhabit the river, including its basin. Because of its size and species diversity, the river can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi, that being from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri river, the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River, and the Lower Mississippi, which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico. At its source, Lake Itasca, the average depth is about three feet. The average depth between Saint Paul and Saint Louis is between nine and 12 feet deep with a maximum depth of around 60 feet. Between Saint Louis and Cairo, Ill. the depth averages 30 feet and below Cairo the average depth is between 50 and 100 feet. The deepest part of the river is in New Orleans, where it reaches over 200 feet in depth. So, whats all the hoopla about the river depth statistics? Let me finish.

Regarding flow, the Mississippi River discharges at an annual average rate of between 200 and 700 thousand cubic feet per second. Im sure some hydrologist or a mathematical statistician can calculate how many gallons of water per second is discharged into the Gulf, never to be seen again, but this is way beyond my capabilities. Or I should say, I have bigger fish to fry. Lets just agree this is a lot of water. The entire drainage system (watershed) for this river covers more than 1,250,000 square miles. This includes the drainage from all or parts of 32 states and two Canadian provinces. To put in perspective, the total catchment of the Mississippi River covers nearly 40% of the landmass of the continental United States. Surely, I have made my point. Now back to the drought stricken West.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is 48 inches in diameter and just over 800 miles long. Consisting of 11 pumping stations, over 35,000 gallons of oil can flow through this pipeper minute. Do you see where I am heading with this? As smart as we think we are, why in the world cant we devise a similar pipeline, only this time to carry the precious resourcewater? We are allowing billions of gallons of water to flow into the Gulf of Mexico, carrying with it, sediment to be dumped into the fragile saltwater ecosystem.

Now before I ruffle some feathers, I know there would be a huge bog-down politically, socially, economically, etc. Take a moment though, to think about the cost of what is occurring out West and what no water is doing. Think about the vast volume of crops that could be produced to feed not only ourselves right here at home, but the rest of the world. Talk about a humanitarian effort! Picture a series of pipelines from Saint Louis on down that would be beneficial for mankind and the river itself, if of course we do it right. This endeavor, sadly, would probably have to go through Congress where most of them struggle to even tie their own shoes, much less agree on something to benefit humanity. I made it through eight articles without becoming a bit political, so I better stop now. One more thought, if they couldnt control it, they wouldnt be for it. Oh well, theres more than one way to skin a cat. Think about it though, why not? Can you envision the possibility? We did it with oil. We can go to the moon. Hmmm, could I be onto something?

Years ago, a group of cotton consultants from Australia visited me during their off season. They are below the equator, so our June is their December, if you know what I mean. They would come look at our crop in the summer and I would go look at theirs in December. A wonderful country for farming indeed. But back to my point. I took them to Vicksburg to see the Mississippi River. One of my guests, Phil Glover, teared up when he stood atop the bluff overlooking this river. I asked him what he thought? I still remember his reply, he emphatically said, it was criminal. I was perplexed and asked him to elaborate. He said to allow that vast resource to flow by and not be utilized for good, could be considered criminal. He was, and is, correct. I have thought about his words many times, and this has been over 20 years ago. And the river keeps flowing.

What do you think about my idea? Im sure someone has talked about it before, but why hasnt anything ever been done? Yall are smarter than I am. Would someone take the ball and run with it? I know it could be done. And in the meantime, smoke continues to engulf the West, crops are parched, timber and wildlife are destroyed, and humans suffer. Please think about this and let me know what you think. And at this very moment, its beginning to rain here.

Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, lets leave it better than we found it.

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Outdoors in the Sun: The Mississippi River could be powerful source against drought - Delta Democrat Times

Let me start this off by saying: I did not know how bad this place was. I have heard about this place being a little creepy and haunted, but I didn't realize the level of creepiness that existed at Cheesman Park in Denver. In fact, it's so creepy, it was one of the inspirations for Steven Spielberg's movie "Poltergeist".

As a haunted/ghost hunting enthusiast, I now haveto go check this place out and yes, I want to do it at night...kind of. I'm the kind of person that likes to do stuff like this even if I'm a little, or a lot, spooked. What can I say, I love a good adrenaline rush.

Let's start with the backstory. According to Legends of America,the parks history began in 1858 when General William Larimer discovered the St. Charles Town Company and established his own town, which he called Denver.

What is now Cheesman Park was once a cemetery that contained thousands of bodies. It was called the Mt. Prospect Cemetery, and it contained bodies of some of the most influential and infamous people of their time.Apparently, they're not very happy about the growth and expansion that has happened all around the area, particularly at Cheesman Park, where it basically sits on top of the old cemetery.

It's said that the first person buried here was a man that was hung for murder. That's not 100% confirmed, but it's damn creepy.

There are rolling hills throughout the park which are probably rolling right over the old graveyard. NowI get why these spirits are so cranky and active. Cheesman Park is consistently ranked as one of the most haunted places in all of Colorado, and for good reason. Rumor has it, there are over 2,000 bodies buried under Cheesman Park.

YouTube/Hidden Files

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SPOOKY: This Popular Denver Park Sits On Thousands Of Dead Bodies - New Country 99.1

NASA will send agolf-cart sized robotic rover to land near the moon's South Pole in 2023 to search for water ice believed to be hidden in permanently dark craters. It will be the first visit to one of the coldest places where the sun never shines.

VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, will touch down beside a crater known as Nobile, where it will spend about 100 days covering about 16-24 kilometres,visiting at leastsix sites of scientific interest. Equipped with a drill that can penetrate a metre into the lunar surface, it will search for water ice believed to be buried within the lunar dirt.

The south polar region is a unique place on the moon where the sun appears very low in the sky. Like the Arctic in late spring, it makes complete circles around the horizon without setting. But that low sun angle means its rays don't reach down into the bowls of some deep craters, so they are in permanent darkness where the temperature drops to 248 C, making the region among the coldest places in the solar system.

That permanent cold has preserved ice on the moon for perhaps billions of years. VIPER will determine how much ice is buried there and possibly determine where it came from.

To manage these extreme temperatures, the rover will use the higher ground to charge its batteries with solar panels, then head down briefly into the craters, the first space robot equipped with headlights, to do the ice prospecting.

A large deposit of ice on the moon would be an extremely valuable resource, both as a source of water for moon colonists, and when broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, for rocket fuel and oxygen for the colonists to breathe.

Having those commodities close by on the moon would be far cheaper than bringing them up from Earth. But before the ice is dug up for consumption, there is important scientific work to be done on material that is likely very, very old.

VIPER will carry instruments to analyze the ice to determine if it truly is water ice as we know it on Earth, or a form of hydrogen called hydroxyl and whether there are other materials present such as methaneice. This might provide clues to how the ice got to the moon, whether it was part of the original material that gave birth to our satellite, or whether it came from icy comets that hit the moon and all the planets during the early days of the solar system. There is a story to be told there before we consume it.

NASA's plan to return humans to the moon, the Artemis Mission, is also targeting the south polar region of the moon partly because of that ice. The idea is to have the moon colony close to a valuable resource.

One other interesting aspect of this mission is how it is being carried out by commercial companies. SpaceX will provide a Falcon Heavy rocket that will reach the moon, while the company Astroboticis building their Griffin lander to deliver the rover to the surface.

It is yet another example of how NASA is handing over the job of reaching space to the private sector. If the colonization of the moon goes ahead, there will undoubtedly be future companies mining that ice and selling it.

Who knows? Perhaps one day there will be a company selling billion-year-old ice cubes. I wonder how long they would last in a drink?

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NASA targets the moon's South Pole for a rover mission - CBC.ca

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Microscopic tardigrades have thrived on Earth for more than 500 million years, and may well outlive humans, but the tiny creatures dont leave behind many fossils.

Hiding in plain sight, the third-ever tardigrade fossil on record has been found suspended within a piece of 16-million-year-old Dominican amber.

The find includes a newly named species, Paradoryphoribius chronocaribbeus, as a relative of the modern living family of tardigrades known as Isohypsibioidea. Its the first tardigrade fossil from the Cenozoic, our current geological era that began 66 million years ago.

The study published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Beneath a microscope, tiny tardigrades look like water bears. Although they are commonly found in water and at times, serving as the nemesis in Ant-Man and the Wasp tardigrades are known for their ability to survive and even thrive in the most extreme environments.

These tiny, pudgy animals are no longer than one millimeter. They have eight legs with claws at the end, a brain and central nervous system, and something sucker-like called a pharynx behind their mouth that can pierce food. Tardigrades are the smallest-known animal with legs.

All of these details are incredibly well preserved in the new fossil specimen, down to its tiny claws.

The discovery of a fossil tardigrade is truly a once-in-a-generation event, said Phil Barden, senior author of the study and assistant professor of biology at New Jersey Institute of Technology, in a statement.

What is so remarkable is that tardigrades are a ubiquitous ancient lineage that has seen it all on Earth, from the fall of the dinosaurs to the rise of terrestrial colonization of plants, Barden said. Yet, they are like a ghost lineage for paleontologists with almost no fossil record. Finding any tardigrade fossil remains is an exciting moment where we can empirically see their progression through Earth history.

The fossil allowed researchers to see evolutionary aspects that arent present in modern tardigrades, which means they can understand how theyve changed over millions of years.

At first, the researchers didnt even notice the tardigrade was trapped in the piece of amber.

Its a faint speck in amber, said Barden. In fact, Pdo. chronocaribbeus was originally an inclusion hidden in the corner of an amber piece with three different ant species that our lab had been studying, and it wasnt spotted for months.

Close observational analysis helped the researchers determine where the new species belongs on the tardigrade family tree.

The fact that we had to rely on imaging techniques usually reserved for cellular and molecular biology shows how challenging it is to study fossil tardigrades, said Javier Ortega-Hernndez, study coauthor and assistant professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University, in a statement. We hope that this work encourages colleagues to look more closely at their amber samples with similar techniques to better understand these cryptic organisms.

The new species is the first definitive fossil for the modern Isohypsibioidea family of tardigrades found across both marine and land environments today.

We are just scratching the surface when it comes to understanding living tardigrade communities, especially in places like the Caribbean where theyve not been surveyed, said Barden. This study provides a reminder that, for as little as we may have in the way of tardigrade fossils, we also know very little about the living species on our planet today.

Tardigrades can tolerate extremes better than most forms of life like surviving five mass extinction events on Earth and some recently traveled to the International Space Station. Its not the first time tardigrades have gone to space and there may even be some of them on the moon after a mission carrying them crashed into its surface.

The tiny animals are related to arthropods and have a deep origin during the Cambrian Explosion, when multiple species of animals suddenly appear in Earths fossil record, 541 million years ago. More tardigrade fossils could be hiding within other pieces of amber that have already been studied researchers just have to look close enough and have the expertise of what theyre looking for when it comes to microscopic fossils.

And tardigrades could outlive humans. Its because they would be largely unaffected by things that could potentially spell doom for Earth and human life in the future, like asteroids, supernovae or gamma ray bursts. As long as the worlds oceans dont boil away, tardigrades will live on.

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Tiny rare fossil found in 16 million-year-old amber is 'once-in-a-generation' find - kuna noticias y kuna radio

University College is illuminated in orange light Sept. 30, 2021.

Western Universitys Office of Indigenous Initiatives hosted several events last week, recognizing the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation across campus and within the community on Sept. 30.

The federal government passed Bill C-5 this summer following the unearthing of over 1,300 unmarked residential school graves, announcing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The orange flag is raised at the International and Graduate Affairs Building Sept. 27, 2021, marking the start of recognition events for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The week began with a flag-raising ceremony on Concrete Beach, lowering the Canadian flag and raising the orange flag. Canadian flags on campus flew at half-mast all week.

The orange flag, designed by story-teller and knowledge-holder Isaac Murdoch of Serpent River First Nation, recognizes the ongoing trauma that Indigenous people experience. While sorrowful, the flag also evoked feelings of hope, acknowledging the truth of and reconciliation with those impacted.

The flag-raising ceremony concluded with a song performance with the womens hand drum.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation affords us with an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the history and ongoing intergenerational legacy of oppressive forms of colonization, said vice-provost and assistant vice-president of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and member of Kettle and Stoney Point First Nation Christy Bressette at the ceremony.

This is an opportunity to address these issues as Canadian issues by all Canadians, added Bressette.

Kay^thke Honyust and Ian^stalkwas Elijah, two Oneida youth, commenced the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a Thanksgiving address in a video on Sept. 29.

This address, translated as what comes ahead of matters, is conducted before community gatherings and originates from a messenger in the 18th century who reminded Indigenous people to give thanks to the Creator in the time of war.

The address recognizes the thunder, the sun, the moon, the stars, the four directions and the Creator.

Christy Bressette (left) distributes tobacco for the Sacred Fire ceremony as a student (right) reflects on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Sept. 30, 2021.

A Sacred Fire ceremony was also hosted at the base of the Music Building and Talbot College on Thursday.

The Sacred Fire ceremony allows participants to heal and release heavy emotions. Participants take sacred tobacco in their hands, holding it to their chests in prayer. They then use the left hand, which is closest to the heart, to place the tobacco into the fire, releasing any burdens.

Tobacco is distributed for the Sacred Fire ceremony Sept. 30, 2021.

Virgil Tobias, an elder from Moravian Reserve, conducted the ceremony.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is important that its a day. But whats really important is that everyday you should remember these things, said Tobias. These things are things that happened. If you know about it, it wont repeat itself. Everyday, you should be able to see an Aboriginal person and say this is the life that theywent through.

Virgil Tobias, an elder from Moravian Reserve, observes the Sacred Fire ceremony in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Sept. 30, 2021.

While the Western community has made strides in recognizing the truth of Indigenous history in recent years, theres still a long way to go to heal and reconcile with victims and survivors of the Indigenous genocide.

It's really important for Indigenous initiatives to be prominently positioned here at Western because it provides an actual way forward, a different way of looking at life in society not as commodities, but as a holistic unit, said Bressette. And that's what education is all about, really. And so, this day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is about honouring the history that has transpired but moving it forward in a way that will benefit all of us.

Students can visit the Office of Indigenous Initiatives website to learn more about how to engage in truth and reconciliation.

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Acknowledging the truth in 'Truth and Reconciliation' | Culture | westerngazette.ca - The Gazette Western University's Newspaper

Oluseye's Ploughing Liberty features a series of old wooden hockey sticks and affixes them seamlessly to antique farm implements evocative of early Black Loyalist farmers, in a statement on how Canadian identity has been narrowly crafted.

Toni Hafkenscheid/Courtesy Patel Brown Gallery

The art world does love its big pulse-taking group shows that summarize the contemporary scene every two or three years. The venerable Venice Biennale keeps spawning descendants and you can now add COVID chaos to that crowded family tree: At the top, the 59th Venice Biennale has been postponed a full year and will open next April; at the bottom, after its successful debut in 2019, the Toronto Biennial of Art has been delayed six months and will open in March, 2022.

The latter is not to be confused with Greater Toronto Art 2021, the Museum of Contemporary Arts bid to launch a triennial group show devoted to the citys most exciting artists. On the one hand GTA 21, as it is cleverly abbreviated, is a necessary attempt by MOCA to root itself more firmly in Toronto soil with a promise of regular seeding and watering. On the other hand, it competes with the Toronto Biennial for similar turf, an awkward overlap only emphasized by the early fall timing, just when its competitor should have been busy comparing the local to the international.

Well, many things feel awkward these days and, not surprisingly, the new art unveiled at GTA 21 when it opened Wednesday, is marked by the pandemic and all the fear, disruptions and claustrophobia forced upon us. If you are looking for an image that captures the moment, look no further than Walter Scotts Read the Room, a group of jerry-rigged, half-assembled sculptures on castors and carts that include trailing wires, some shapes outlined in neon tubes, cardboard boxes, a dismembered pair of plaster feet and a pair of hooks that spell SO . These days even a cry for help gets postponed.

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Water Scott's Read the Room captures the pandemic and all the fear, disruptions and claustrophobia it forced.

Courtesy the artist and Cooper Cole

As they commissioned Toronto artists to create new work for this exhibition, MOCA artistic director November Paynter, and colleagues Rui Mateus Amaral and Daisy Desrosiers have had the smart idea of including some designers and architects in the mix, and Scott shares the ground floor with the experimental architectural firm Common Accounts. Partners Igor Bragado and Miles Gertler contribute Parade of All the Feels, a model for an unrealized parade float that features a doll-house-sized apartment in a plastic bubble boasting two miniature screens playing a demonic talking head. Pull up a QR code on your phone and you can then, via Instagram, enhance the experience with a Lego-like buggy that circles the house. Voila, its a recipe for a Zoom reduction, a miniaturized version of our current state.

On the two upper floors the curators attempt to wrangle their 21 participants into more enduring themes: the second floor is devoted to the idea of inheritance and the third to mutation, but the current anxiety permeates both. For example, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, who deploys unusual perspectives on mythic narratives painted in a rather classical style, has mounted a series of her canvases as theatre or fairground flats, as though, like Scotts sculptures, they might need to be shifted at short notice. Native Art Department International (Maria Hupfield and Jason Lujan) has created a double gazebo that is cordoned off so the visitor cant enter it. Sculptor Tony Romano has included a months worth of lockdown watercolour self-portraits.

Igor Bragado and Miles Gertler's Parade of All the Feels features a model for an unrealized parade float that features a doll-house-sized apartment in a plastic bubble boasting two miniature screens playing a demonic talking head.

Courtesy of the artists

If you are looking to define Toronto art here, it appears as a movement that emerges from a great diversity of backgrounds, is fascinated by global and personal identities, and deeply committed to decolonization. No surprises there. Oluseye takes a series of old wooden hockey sticks and affixes them seamlessly to antique farm implements evocative of early Black Loyalist farmers, in a beautifully executed if rather transparent statement on how Canadian identity has been narrowly crafted. Ashoona Ashoona and Alexa Hatanaka have collaborated on a delicate cultural map made from squares of washi paper quilted together to depict the links between Japanese and Inuit printmaking, and from one artists grandmother to the other.

Despite Ashoonas presence, themes of indigeneity, which animated the Toronto Biennial two years ago along with a powerful interest in local geography, are largely absent: Oddly, Toronto the city seems missing from GTA 21. (There is also not much art about the environment and biology let alone disease with the exception of Kara Springers photography, which includes images of oil slicks and a startling lightbox showing a ladder standing in an ocean.) Toronto is celebrated for its diversity but here the focus on cultural identity makes the exhibition seem rootless. Works such as Jesse Chuns projected text panel O (for various skies), in which a U.S. military document about colonization of the moon morphs into a piece of astronomical poetry, or Sahar Tes Toyota Tacoma ominously wrapped in black fabric, feel like they could have been made in any cosmopolitan capital.

Perhaps that is another effect of lockdowns, a kind of divorce from the tangible specifics of the urban environment as we experience life either at a hyper personal level or virtually with a global perspective. Almost all the works in the show were commissioned specially for the occasion, yet site specific interventions into MOCAs light industrial space are few and far between. Scott has wrapped several of the pillars on the ground floor in protective zippered coverings as if providing further evidence of his sculptures instability. And Ghazaleh Avarzamani has created a beautiful blue enclosure, a large metal grille echoing Islamic architecture, to cover one of the ground-floor windows. From the exterior on Sterling Road, as it punctuates the Tower Automotive buildings utilitarian brick and stucco faade, it offers a refreshing bit of placemaking. Avarzamanis other contribution is equally reflective; a large gathering of wooden tops of different shapes laid out on a plywood platform on the ground floor. Some are perfectly turned but others are misshapen or half-formed. In the midst of much angst, its a work that approaches its human themes with a welcome lyricism. Yes, some of us are still spinning; others not so much.

Greater Toronto Art 2021 continues at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto to Jan. 9, 2022.

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MOCA launches triennial Greater Toronto Art 2021 to highlight the city's 'most exciting' artists - The Globe and Mail

This one isn't all electric.

On Thursday, Honda announced a massive new strategy to look beyond the automotive industry and into other areas. The company revealed plans for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, new robotic advances and even plans to help bring sustainable life to the moon. Yes, we're talking about the same company best known for building the Civic, Accord and CR-V.

Let's break it all down, starting with the closest thing to a car in this announcement: the eVTOL. Honda recognizes there's a growing appetite for this type of transportation and expects the industry to (wait for it...) take off in the decade to come. However, it also pointed out rivals bank on totally electric machines limited by their range. To counter this, Honda wants to build its own eVTOL with a gas turbine hybrid unit. Without range restrictions, Honda imagines its own helicopter-like contraption could take people between cities, and not just around a city. It'll require a huge new ecosystem the company said it plans to invest in, but it plans to leverage many of the technologies it's already developed, especially for the eVTOL itself.

Today, a robot hand. Tomorrow? A full avatar perhaps.

Honda's already pretty well known for Asimo, the cute robot helper that's made waves for years now, but the next step is "avatars." These are robots that take the place of you and I. Essentially, a human could perform a task without being physically present, but instead while controlling their avatar, which is really freaky. Honda specifically called this a "second-self." To show its progress, the firm revealed a proof-of-concept in the form of a robotic hand with fingers. While a human provides input in a separate location, the robotic hand executes the moves. Right now, that includes grasping an object, handling a tool with the right amount of force and artificial intelligence to handle the remote functions. The possibilities surrounding the tech are wild, and Honda wants to show off its tech in greater detail come 2024. In the 2030s, it wants to put it into practical use.

If none of that is outrageous enough for the carmaker, we arrive at moon colonization. No, Honda doesn't want to stake out its own territory on the moon, but it does want to help support future life there. With a new partnership between it and Japan's NASA equivalent, JAXA, the two want to build a "circulative renewable energy system on the lunar surface." This is all dependent on the likelihood of water on the moon's surface, but essentially, Honda wants to use its fuel-cell technologies to produce lots of good things. A system using high differential pressure water electrolysis technologies decomposes the water, creating both hydrogen and oxygen. In Honda's vision, the oxygen supplies living quarters with air for lunar colonists, while the hydrogen refuels rockets. Those rockets, by the way, are also part of Honda's vision for reusable units. Right now, the goal is to create small rockets to support the launch of low-earth orbit satellites. In the future, they could play a part in space travel.

Got all of that? It's a lot coming from Honda in one day, but the automaker promised these initiatives run alongside its core business; that's the business of building and selling cars, in case you forgot. Basically, we're in for a wild decade from Honda. And perhaps the Japanese automaker may help humans survive on the moon one day, if the company has its way.

Climb in the driver's seat for the latest car news and reviews, delivered to your inbox twice weekly.

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Honda reveals eVTOL plans, future robots and dreams of helping colonize the moon - CNET

As Canadians observe the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we bring together four Indigenous female poets to speak their truth in the sixth edition of the CBC Arts series Poetic License. Watch previous performances now and read Kahsenniyo Williams's poem below.

Contains strong language.

Hamilton-based poet Kahsenniyo's name means "a good name"in Mohawk.She credits her mother's sense of humour for her name but as an artist, matriarch and 1492 Land Back Lane activist who uses her words for social change,her mother may have predestined the empowered woman her daughter would grow up to be.

Watch Kahsenniyo perform Decolonizing Love in the video above and follow her at @landback_and_lipstick also a good name. In this deeply personal poem, Kahsenniyo reckons with the ways in which colonialism has decimated Indigenous lands and family structures and offers her own strategies to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

This video was filmed on location at the Woodland Cultural Centre, a site at which a small but mighty group has transformed the original intent of the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School into a place of reconciliation and learning to promote Indigenous art and history.

Special thank you as well also to multidisciplinary artist Kelly Greene.Greene is of Mohawk-Oneida-Sicilian ancestry, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, and a descendant of the Turtle Clan.Her work centres around environmental, political and cultural themes that have been impacted by colonization.Her incredible installation "The Haldimand Coupe" (2015)is featured in the video.

I fell in love with you centuries agoas we stood belowthe silver moonsurrounded by treesme weeding gardens on my kneesnot knowing the complexitiesthat over centurieswould be put in our way

even though I wanted to staythe white man took me awayand held me in the captivityof his lust for memy brown skin a symbol of the earththat had no worthto himand I been struggling to love you since then

I've been struggling to love myselfI forgot my valueI allowed you to disrespect meas a woman I am to demand respectaccept nothing lessbecause I am worthy

I didn't know how to love the bloodthat once bound us so tightlycolonization made it impossible for you to like mebe attracted to medesire me sexuallyrespect me

I am the colour of earthwe took on the colonizer's idea of worth; it's made us forget who you arewho I amwho we are supposed to be togetherleft each other to walk this land with foreign responsibilitiesI abandoned you

you were left in the emptinessof her hollow chestwith each one of her breathsyou were left with lesseach time she inhaledher power prevailedleaving you living in a secret nightmarebut you put on a happy face, pretend that things are greatwhen day grows latethe darkness swallows you wholeyou are left with an unfilled soulin silenceemptinessdarknessfilled with regret

haunted by blood memories of mememories of who you are supposed to be

haunted by your strongsoft rhythmic heart beat in her captivityas these beats echofrom generations agoyou are reminded of the drums from homethe songs you know you are supposed to sing for your family

I've realized I don't want to plant gardens aloneit's taken a lot but I'm glad we've both come homeassimilated ideologiesof our responsibilitieswe've let gomy heart you have sewnwith needles of traditionheld together by threads of languageyour handswill help rebuild clanstogetherwe can heal centuries of collective traumaby fiercely loving the fuck out of each otherthe way we raise our children has consequencesSo, let's soak them in our love

teach our daughterstheir hearts are made of lavahave star dust under their tonguesand the ability to sift tides in their wombs

let's allow laughter to vibrate so loudlyour great grandchildren feel us in their bones

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Kahsenniyo performs a poem reckoning with the wounds of colonialism and breaking cycles of trauma - CBC.ca

For the first time ever, the University of Toronto is offering a course that takes an Indigenous perspective on astronomy.

Hilding Neilson, an assistant professor at the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts and Science, created the third-year course called "Indigenous Worldviews & Astronomy"for U of T students who are interested in Indigenous perspectives, ethics and colonization in science.

Neilson, a Mi'kmaw from the Qalipu First Nation, says he believes viewing astronomy exclusively through a Western lens can be limiting.

"We tend to omit Indigenous perspectives and methods in this discussion, even though we live and benefit from being on Indigenous lands,"says Neilson. "By embracing Indigenous and other knowledges, we bring more lenses and that can only enrich our view and understanding of the universe."

Neilson says he was inspired to create the course after hearing a lecture from Wilfred Buck, a science facilitator at the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre and an Indigenous star lore expert.

The course Neilson created will explore Indigenous knowledge of astronomy, how people use the stars for navigation and rituals.

It will discuss astronomy and ongoing colonization with cases such as the Kanaka Maoli Indigenous people of Hawaii, who are protesting the lack of consent for the Thirty Meter Telescope.

There is also the question of permissions when wealthy people such asJeff Bezos and Elon Musk (SpaceX) go ahead with space programs unchallenged.

"There's a new realm of colonization that's occurringthat's going to have negative impacts on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples," Neilson says.

Putting more and more satellites in the sky is changing how we see the night sky.

"A lot of the SpaceX satellites are bright enough that they can be seen with the unaided eye in dark spots," he says. "This creates a form of light pollution that impacts our view of the night sky. And nobody's actually asked for, or consulted with Indigenous peoples about whether that's okay to have that light pollution."

There may be some Indigenous people who want more access to the Internet that the satellites can provide, he says, adding: "But there's not a whole lot of discussion about it."

There is also the language of colonization that continues when people speak about going to the moon or Mars.

"The whole language of going to Mars, fromscience fiction to movies, like The Martian to how we actually go about today, it is the same language of colonization."

While Mi'kmaq culture wasn't a large part of his life growing up, Neilson says he decided to learn more after hearing Buck speak.

"I feel that learning from Indigenous knowledges have allowed me to relate and connect with the science more deeply, and to think about how I myself relate to that knowledge," Neilson says.

"It has made me a better scientist."

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U of T professor creates astronomy class with an Indigenous lens - blogTO