Galactic Inquirer

(William H. Waller – Endicott College, The Galactic Inquirer, and IAU/OAE/US-NAEC) It is not an exaggeration to state that galactic ecosystems have spawned pretty much everything that we hold dear – including ourselves. These nebular nurseries have incubated all the stars, planetary systems, and many of the complex molecules known to humanity. From there, myriad planets in orbit around their hosting stars have further refined the organic matter into even more complex biochemicals.

(William H. Waller – Endicott College, The Galactic Inquirer, and IAU/OAE/US-NAEC) Fig. 1: The Lagoon and Trifid nebulae amid other regions of star-forming activity (Rubin Observatory) It is not hyperbole to state that galactic ecosystems have spawned pretty much everything that we hold dear – including ourselves. These nebular nurseries have incubated all the stars, planetary systems, and many of the complex molecules known to humanity.

In a panoramic photograph taken from lunar orbit, two bright, sharply defined objects stood out from the otherwise subdued landscape on the floor of a crater called Paracelsus C. At the resolution available in the early 1970s, it was impossible to tell exactly what they were. Today we can take a much closer look. Images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, show that the original Apollo photograph was not simply creating an illusion.

(William H. Waller, Ph.D. – The Galactic Inquirer) Piloted during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Earth & Space Reports video series is now in its 7th year of monthly programming (see (1) Earth & Space Reports – YouTube). Each episode consists of an online presentation by a research scientist, educator, or communicator on some topic in the Earth & space sciences. At first, these were solo efforts by the present author.

Julian G. Waller, Center for Naval Analyses and The George Washington University, DC, USA Abstract Traditionally, discussions of governance beyond Earth have largely been held to the purview of debates about space law and global governance regimes. Yet, the priority of space exploration among ambitious, tech-industry-linked billionaires and the continuing potential for militarization suggest that a more dynamic approach may be needed.

(Dr. William H. Waller – Endicott College and The Galactic Inquirer) By now, you have probably read or heard that our polluting ways have reached a critical point, where Earth is rapidly approaching total failure as a planet. Perhaps you have wondered how we humans could have managed to do so much damage in so little time. Your bewilderment is well-deserved, as the planet itself is far from failing. It’s our relatively insubstantial biosphere that is in peril.

(Marcus Mount, Deer Valley High School, Antioch, CA, USA) When we think about it, space exploration is arguably humanity’s most exciting and monumental work. We owe much of our understanding of the universe to two forms of exploration — robotic missions and human missions. They each have pros and cons, and scientists are still arguing which is superior. Robotic exploration costs less to deploy and is safer, while human exploration is more flexible and imaginative in space.

(Moneth Claire Corpuz, Deer Valley High School, Antioch, CA, USA) “The sky is fake.” Meina recalled the words of a delusional passerby near the Academy. She was supposed to present a subject related to her chosen major of Astronomical Studies in a Caelumology class. She was expected to provide a thesis in support of her perspectives on the subject. There was also the encouragement from her professor who had mentioned something about her presenting at a public event.

(Sebastian Sousa, St. Patrick’s School of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) Introduction Have you ever experienced an eerie coincidence? Thinking of someone just as they call or mirroring their actions at the same time by accident? While this sort of simultaneity may seem like just a strange coincidence, in the quantum world it isn’t. Particles experience an actual, measurable connection, no matter the distance (see Figure 1).

(Martina Guja Zagonel – Liceo Scientifico Bonaventura Cavalieri, Verbania, Italy) Introduction With recent advancements and ongoing progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI), it’s conceivable that in the coming years, AI may achieve and surpass human intelligence while continuing its evolution for superior intelligence conditions. This event is called the Technological Singularity by scholars, and it could produce unforeseeable consequences (see Fig. 1).