The National Aeronautics and Space Administration

 

NASA is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The new agency was to have a distinctly civilian orientation, encouraging peaceful applications in space science. Since its establishment, most US space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle.

NASA is supporting the International Space Station and is overseeing the development of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System, and Commercial Crew vehicles. The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program, which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for uncrewed NASA launches. NASA science is focused on better understanding Earth through the Earth Observing System; advancing heliophysics through the efforts of the Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Research Program.

Exploring bodies throughout the Solar System with advanced robotic spacecraft such as New Horizons; and researching astrophysics topics, such as the Big Bang, through the Great Observatories and associated programs. Since 2017, NASA's crewed spaceflight program has been the Artemis program, which involves the help of U.S. commercial spaceflight companies and international partners such as ESA, JAXA, and CSA. The goal of this program is to land "the first woman and the next man" on the lunar south pole region by 2024.

The bat

 

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera. With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more manoeuvrable than birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. The smallest bat, and arguably the smallest extant mammal, is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, which is 29-34 millimetres (1 1/8-1 3/8 inches) in length, 150 mm (6 in) across the wings and 2-2.6 g (1/16-3/32 oz) in mazz. 

The largest bats are the flying foxes and the giant golden-crowned flying fox, Acerodon jubatus, which can weigh 1.6 kg (3 1/2 lb) and have a wingspan of 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in). The second largest order of mammals after rodents, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with over 1400 species. These were traditionally divided into two suborders: the largely fruit-eating megabats, and the echolocating microbats. But more recen evidence has supported dividing the order into Yinpterochiroptera and yangochiroptera, with megabats as memebers of the former along with several species of microbats. 

Many bats are insectivores, and most of the rest are frugivores (fruit-eaters) or nectarivores (nectar-eaters). A few species feed on animals other than insects; for example, the vampire bats feed on blood. Most bats are nocturnal, and many roost in caves or other refuges; it is uncertain whether bats have these behaviours to escape predators. Bats are present throughout the worls, with the exception of extremely cold regions. They are important in their ecosystems for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds; many tropical plants depend entirely on bats for these services. 

Bats provide humans with some direct benefits, at the cost of some disadvantages. On the befefits side, bat dung has been and in may places still is mined as guano from caves and used as fertiliser. Bats consume insect pests, reducing the need for pesticides and other insect management measures. They are sometimes numerous enough and close enough to human settlements to serve as tourist attractions, and they are used as food across Asia and the Pacific Rim. 

On the disadvantages side, fruit bats are frequently considered pests by fruit growers. Due to their physiology, bats are one type of animal that acts as a natural reservoir of many pathogens, such as rabies; and since they are highly mobile, social, and long-lived, they can readily spread disease among themselves. If humans interact with bats, these traits become potentially dangerous to humans. Depending on the culture, bats may be symbolically associated with positive traits, such as protection from certain diseases or risks, rebirth, or long life, but in the West, bats are popularly associated with darkness, malevolence, withcraft, vampires, and death...

The real Queen's Gambit

 

The Queen's Gambit is the chess opening that starts with the moves:

1. d4 d5

2. c4

It is one of the oldest opening and is still commonly played today. It is traditionally described as a gambit because White appears to sacrifice the c-pawn; however, this could be considered a misnomer as Black cannot retain the pawn without incurring a disadvantage. Also, this kind of opening is one of the oldest known in chess. It was mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and was later analyzed by Gioachino Greco in the 17th century. In the 18th century, it was recommended by Philipp Stamma and is sometimes known as the "Aleppo Gambit" on his honor. During the early period of modern chess, queen pawn openings were not in fashion, and the Queen's Gambit did not become commonplace until the 1873 tournament in Vienna. 

As Wilhelm Steinitz and Siegbert Tarrasch developed chess theory and increased the appreciation of positional play, the Queen's Gambit grew more popular, reaching its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s, and it was played in all but 2 of 34 games in the 1927 World Championship match between José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine. After the resumption of international chess activity following World War II, it was less frequently seen, as many players moved away from summetrical openings, tending to use Indian Defences to combat queen  pawn openings; however, it is still frequently played. 

With 2. c4, White threatens to exchange a wing pawn (the c-pawn) for a center pawn (Black's d-pawn) in order to dominate the center with e2-e4. Note that Black cannot hold the pawn, for example: 1.d4 d5 2. c4 3. e3 b5? (Black tries to guard their pawn but should pursue development with 3...Nf6 or 3...e5) 4. a4 c6? 5. axb5 cxb5?? 6. Qf3! winning a piece. The Queen's Gambit is divided into two major categories based on Black's response: the Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA) and Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD). In the QGA, Black plays 2...dxc4, temporarily giving up the center to obtain freer development. In the QGD, Black usually plays to hold d5. Frequently Black will be cramped, but Black aims to exchange pieces and use pawn breaks at c5 and e5 to free Black's game.

Technically, any Black response other than 2...dxc4 (or another line with an early ...dxc4 that transposes into the QGA) is a Queen's Gambit Declined, but the Slav, Albin countergambit, and Chigorin Defense are generally treated separately. There are so many QGD lines after 2...e6 that many of them are distinctive enough to warrant separate treatment. The Orthodox Defense and the Tarrasche Defense are two important examples. (See Queen's Gambit Declined for more).

After 1. d4 d5 2. c4:

2...e6 (Queen's Gambit Declined or QGD). This is the main line, with many variations.

2...dxc4 (Queen's Gambit Accepted or QGA). Less popular than the QGD, it nevertheless has a solid reputation. 

2...c6 (Slav Defense). This is a solid response, although many variations are very tactical. 

2...e5 (Albin Countergambit). A sharp attempt by Black to gain the initiative. 

2...Nc6 (Chigorin Defense). It takes the game away from the normal positional channels of the QGD and has been favored by Alexamder Morozevich at the top level; it appears to be playable for Black. 

2...Bf51!? (Baltic Defense). It is an offbeat but playable line.

2...c5 (Symmetrical Defense). This is rarely played; although it has not been definitely refuted, the play seems to favor White. 

2...Nf6?! (Marshall Defense). It named after Frankk Marshall, who first devised the move, he briefly played it in the 1920s before abandoning it. 

2...g6?! (Alekhine idea). White can gain the advantage by 3. cxd5 Qxd5 (3...Nf6 4. Qa4 +/-) 4. Nc3 Qa5 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd2 c6 7. e4 Qb6 8. Bc4! Bxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Qb3 Qg7 11. 0-0 +/- (Minev).

Budapest

 

Budapest is the capital and the most populous city of Hungary, and the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. The city has an estimated population of 1.752.286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres (203 square miles). Budapest is both a city and county, and forms the centre of the Budapest metropolitan area, which has an area of 7.626 square kilometres (2.944 square miles) and a population of 3.303.786 comprising 33% of the population of Hungary.

The history of Budapest began when an early Celtic settlement transformed into the Roman town of Aquincum, the capital of Lower Pannonia. The Hungarians arrived in the territory in the late 9th century, but the area was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42. Reestablished Buda became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture by the 15 the century, The Battle of Mohács, in 1526, was followed by nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule. After the reconquest of Buda in 1686, the region entered a new age of prosperity, with Pest-Buda becoming a global city after the unification of Buda, Óbuda andPest on 17 November 1873, with the name 'Budapest' given to the new capital.

Budapest also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a great power that dissolved in 1918, following World War I. The city was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Battle of Budapest in 1945, and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Budapest is a Beta + global city with strengths in commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. It is Hungary's financial centre and was ranked as the second fastest-developing urban economy in Europe.

Budapest is the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the European Police College and the first foreign office of the China Investment Promotion Agency. Over 40 colleges and universities are located in Budapest, including the Eötvös Loránd University, the Semmelweis University and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Opened in 1896, the city's subway system, the Budapest Metro, serves 1.27 million, while the Budapest Tram Network serves 1.08 million passengers daily.

The central area of Budapest along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has several notable monuments, including the Hungarian Parliament and the Buda Castle. The city also has around 80 geothermal springs, the largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building in the world. budapest attracts around 12 million international tourists per year, making it a hightly popular destination in Europe. The city was chosen as the "Best European Destination of 2019, a major poll conducted by EBD, a tourism organisation partnering with the European Commission. It also topped "the Best European Destinations 2020" list by Big7media.

The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)

 

The Qeen's Gambit is an American coming-of-age period drama streaming television miniseries based on Walter Tevis's 1983 novel of the same name, created for Netflix by Scott Frank and Allan Scott, and written and directed by the former. Beginning mid-1950s and proceeding into the 1960s, the story is about an orphaned chess prodigy on her rise to becoming the world's  greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency.

The Queen's Gambit was released on October 23, 2020. After four weeks of viewing it became Netflix's most-watched scripted miniseries. It has received critical acclaim for Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Beth Harmon as well as for the cinematography and production values. It has also received a positive response from the chess community and is credited with spurring a resurgence of public interest in the game. 

The Queen's Gambit follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy, Beth Harmon, during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency. The series' title refers to a chess opening of the same name. The story begins in the mid-1950s and proceeds into the 1960. Story begins in Lexington, Kentucky, where a nine-year-old Beth, having lost her mother in a car crash, is taken to an orphanage where she is taught chess by the building's custodian, Mr. Shaibel.

As was common during the 1950s, the orphanage dispenses daily tranquilizer pills to the girls, which turns into an addiction for Beth. She quickly becomes a strong chess player due to her visualization skills, which are enhanced by the tranquilizers. A few years later, Beth is adopted by Alma Wheatley and her husband from Lexington. As she adjusts to her new home, Beth enters a chess tournament and wins despite having ni prior experience in chess.

She develops friendships with several people, including former Kentucky state champion Harry Beltik; gifted but arrogant chess prodigy Benny Watts and journalist, photographer and fellow player D.L. Townes. As Beth continues to win games and reaps the financial benefits of ther success, she becomes more dependent on alcohol and other drugs. About the cast and characters: 

Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon.

Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benny Watts.

 Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov.

Pandemic

 

A pandemic is a epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of people. A widespread endemic disease with a stable number of infected people is not a pandemic. Widespread endemic diseases with a stable number of infected people such as recurrences of seasonal influenza are generally excluded as they occur simultaneously in large regions of the globe rather than being spread worldwide. 

Throughout human history, there have been a number of pandemics of diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis. The most fatal pandemic in recorded history was the Black Death (also known as The Plague), which killed an estimated 75-200 million people in the 14th century. The term was not used yet but was for later pandemics including the 1918 incluenza pandemic (Spanish flu). Current pandemics include COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and HIV/AIDS.

A pandemic is an epidemic ocurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale. A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considerer a pandemic because the disease is neither infectious nor contagious.

Podemos vs Vox in Spain

 

Podemos or "We can" in English, is a political party in Spain founded in January 2014 by political scientist Pablo Iglesias Turrión in the aftermath of the 15-M Movement protests against inequality and corruption. Podemos is a left-wing populist party which favours anti-austerity, anti-corruption and anti-establishment views. Podemos has called for a renegotiation of austerity measures and seeks to curtail the Treaty of Lisbon.

In 2014 Podemos was the second largest political party in Spain by number of members after the People's  Party (PP). On 9 May 2016, Podemos formed the Unidos Podemos (UP) electoral alliance with United Left, Equo and minor left-wing parties. In 2018, the party joined Maintenant le Peuple. After the November 2019 Spanish general election, in which the party and its allies won 12,8% of the vote and 35 seats in the Congress of Deputies, Podemos entered a coalition government with the PSOE, the first multi-party cabinet in the current Spanish democratic era.

Vox in Latin for "voice", often stylized as VOX, is a Spanish far-right political party. Founded in 2013, the party is led by party president Santiago Abascal and secretary general Javier Ortega Smith. the party entered the Spanish parliament for the first time in the April 2019 general election, having become the country's third political force after the November 2019 Spanish general election that same year, in which it secured 3.6 million votes and 52 seats in the Congress of Deputies.

Vox has been described as a far-right party within the subset of the radical-right family parties, its discourse relies relatively less in populism and more on nationalism. Its economic agenda has been described as "neoliberal". Their view of European Union is that of a Euroscepticism. Inaddition, they seek the return of Gibraltar to full Spanish sovereighnty.