Information Is Power
Good, solid information is the best resource that the public can use. Primary sources when possible and good discussions and studies when informative.
Is it AI | Elon Musk and Donald Trump Danceathon | Video: 36 Seconds
Haters will say this is AI 🕺🕺 pic.twitter.com/vqWVxiYXeD
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 14, 2024
The Undeniable Hate Of The Left | Elon Musk | X | Video: 59 Seconds
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2024
Nightly News Rebroadcast | October 13, 2022 | Video: 28 Minutes 53 Seconds
The January 6 Committee voted unanimously on Oct. 13 to subpoena former President Donald Trump to testify before the panel. The Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to intervene in the dispute over classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago.
Bannon’s War Room | Episode 2225 | Evening Edition | Recorded October 13, 2022 | Video: 48 Minutes 58 Seconds
Episode 2225: We Are Going To Experience Years Of Entrenched Inflation.
Ukraine’s Kyiv Area Hit By Iranian-Made Kamikaze Drones | The Associated Press

A man reacts near the body of his cousin, killed in a Russian rocket attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/LIBKOS)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s Kyiv and Odesa regions with Iranian-made drones and used missiles to strike other areas Thursday, Ukrainian officials said as Moscow punished the country for a fourth day after a truck bomb damaged a bridge to the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
A strike carried out near Makariv, a small city located 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Kyiv, destroyed critical infrastructure. Throughout the capital region, residents whose lives had resumed some normalcy when the war moved east months ago again awoke to air raid sirens.
Russia intensified its bombardment of civilian areas in recent weeks as its military lost ground in multiple occupied regions of Ukraine that President Vladimir Putin illegally claimed as Russian territory. Putin’s supporters urged him to escalate the campaign further after the Crimea bridge attack.
It wasn’t clear if the explosive-packed drones caused any casualties. Ukrainian officials said dozens of people died this week after the Russian military ramped up the scope of its attacks, including at least two killed Thursday in a missile strike that destroyed an apartment building in southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials said Thursday that Iranians in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine were training Russians how to use the Shahed-136 systems, which can conduct air-to-surface attacks, electronic warfare and targeting. Their deployment may indicate the Russian military is running out of its own drones. . . .
Ukraine’s Kyiv Area Hit By Iranian-Made Kamikaze Drones | AP News
Larry Elder: Protests in Iran — the silence of the ‘feminists’ and ‘progressives’ | BizPac Review
Where are the American feminists and “progressives” when we need them? You know, the men-versus-women, pro-abortion types who say things like the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents “men wanting to tell women what to do with their bodies”?
Last month, on Sept. 16, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman living in Iran, died in a hospital three days after being arrested in Tehran by the state’s morality police known as “Guidance Patrols.” Her “crime”? She showed too much hair underneath her hijab, or headscarf.
The New York Times reported: “The police did not offer an explanation for why Ms. Amini was detained, other than that it involved the hijab rule. Her mother said in an interview with Iranian news media that her daughter was observing the rules and wearing a long, loose robe. She said Ms. Amini was arrested as she exited the subway with her brother, and that his pleas that they were visitors to the city were ignored.”
According to the BBC: “Eyewitnesses said Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran on Tuesday. Police have denied the allegations, saying Ms Amini had ‘suddenly suffered a heart problem.’” However, at least one Iranian judicial official, according to state media, said the woman suffered “multiple fractures … in the pelvis, head, upper and lower limbs, arms and legs, which indicate that the person was thrown from a height.”
In protest, women in Iran are cutting their hair, with some taking to social media and burning their hijabs. Two weeks ago, CNN reported: “Protests have swept through more than 40 Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran. Iranian security forces have been cracking down on protesters, with hundreds arrested and at least 41 killed, according to state media. Some human rights organizations say the death toll is as high as 76.” As for Iran, Human Right Watch states: “Since March 21, 2022, at the beginning of Iranian New Year, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented 306 executions, 130 of them for drug-related charges and 151 of them based on the Islamic principle of qisas, or ‘retribution in kind’ punishments. Between May 21 and June 21 alone, the group documented 99 executions.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted: “Solidarity with the courageous women and allies in Iran protesting for their freedom. Mahsa Amini was senselessly murdered by the same patriarchal and autocratic forces repressing women the world over. The right to choose belongs to us all, from hijabs to reproductive care.” And Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., put out a statement: “Those responsible for her death should be held accountable and the world should be united in fighting against the policing of what women wear and how they show up in society. Banning the hijab is not much different than forcing one on women. Religious beliefs are personal and should never be imposed on anyone. (May God have mercy upon her soul).”
Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who once said about President Donald Trump, “We’re going to impeach this mother-f—-er,” and after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, tweeted, “Reproductive rights are human rights that remain under threat across the country,” tweeted mildly, “I stand in solidarity with the Iran protests as they fight for a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and against police brutality in the wake of the horrifying murder of Mahsa Amini.”
As for the rest of The Squad, silence.
No call by American feminists and progressives for the collapse of the totalitarian government of Iran. No wholesale condemnation of this police state’s mandate that women wear the hijab and face imprisonment for failing to do so, or for failing to wear it “correctly.” No plea that the Biden administration, at the very least, publicly support the Iranian protesters demonstrating the same kind of courage as have the Ukrainians following the Russian invasion.
Talk about “men telling women what to do with their bodies”! All the elements to make this an Iranian George Floyd moment are present. But the relative silence by The Squad has been deafening.
Larry Elder is a best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on Twitter @larryelder.
Larry Elder: Protests in Iran — the silence of the ‘feminists’ and ‘progressives’ | BizPac Review
Pro-Life Protesters Speak Out on FBI Arrest; Alex Jones to Pay Nearly $1 billion for Hoax Claims | NTD Good Morning
The Justice Department has charged 11 pro-life activists for blocking access to an abortion clinic. Find out what supporters had to say in their defense at a press conference on Oct 12.
A Connecticut jury orders Info-wars host Alex Jones to pay close to $1 billion. Meanwhile, Jones continues to frame the trial as a free speech case.
Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has another surprise. It comes just a day after she announced leaving the Democratic party.
Topics in this episode include:
1. DOJ Charges 11 Pro-Life Activists
2. Jury Orders Alex Jones to Pay Nearly $1B
3. Gabbard to Stump for GOP U.S. Senate Nominee
4. Biden to Saudis – ‘1 More Month’
5. New Plan to Expel Venezuelan Migrants at Border
6. UN Demands Russia Reverse Annexations in Ukraine
7. Largest Fentanyl Seizure in NYC’s History
8. Homeless Surge After End of Covid Help
9. Virgin Orbit Plans First UK Rocket Air-Launch
10. Chinese Firm Tests Electric Flying Taxi in Dubai
11. Together Anything is Pawsible
12. Large Herd of Sheep Cause Traffic Jam in Utah
13. ‘Fat Bear Week’ Winner…
Pro-Life Protesters Speak Out on FBI Arrest; Alex Jones to Pay Nearly $1 billion for Hoax Claims | NTD Good Morning
Bannon’s War Room | Episode 2224 | Morning Edition Hour 2 | Recorded October 13, 2022 | Video: 48 Minutes 58 Seconds
Episode 2224: We Are Plummeting Due To The Regimes Zero Percent Interest Rate Policy; The Doors To Transhumanism Are Open.
Macron urges Putin to ‘return to the table’ on Ukraine | Infowars
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Moscow to return to peace negotiations, while at the same time pledging additional military support for Kiev amid the ongoing escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Speaking to the France 2 broadcaster on Wednesday, Macron condemned the large-scale missile attack launched by Russia against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Crimea bridge. The missile strikes have shown that the conflict has entered “an unprecedented stage,”Macron asserted, claiming that “for the first time all over Ukraine civilians have been killed … and electricity and heating facilities have been destroyed.”
“We’re going to deliver … radars, systems and missiles to protect them from these attacks,” Macron said, adding that France is also negotiating delivery of six additional Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. The artillery pieces were originally built for Denmark. . . .
Macron urges Putin to ‘return to the table’ on Ukraine | Infowars
Rep. Gosar: ‘The Anti-Christian Biden Regime Will be Defeated’ | National File
Last Updated on October 12, 2022
Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar let loose on the “anti-Christian Biden regime,” kicking off a series of tweets he’s put out over the course of this week blasting the “Biden crime family” and championing the America First movement. The American people, Gosar tweeted, are sick and tired of being “looted blind by warmongers and illegal aliens.”
“I wear Biden’s attacks on me as a badge of honor,” Gosar, perhaps the most pro-Trump, America First-aligned Congressman on Capitol Hill, said in a quote he attached to a Sunday tweet. “The anti-Christian Biden Regime will be defeated by the America First movement.”
America First. pic.twitter.com/hawy8uLYEi
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) October 9, 2022
The next day, Gosar followed up with another scathing review of the anti-American Biden agenda.
“Our country is being looted blind by warmongers and illegal aliens,” Gosar said in the tweet. “The American people are sick of it.”
America must be put FIRST again. pic.twitter.com/dji48Nx6b0
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) October 10, 2022
“Let’s put Americans first for a change,” Gosar wrote the following day, including another graphic directed at Joe Biden, his “crime family,” and corrupt Ukrainian President Zelensky.
“Biden and his crime family may owe Zelensky, but America doesn’t owe him a damn thing,” the Congressman says in the tweet, which comes on the heels of the Biden Administration announcing that even more American tax dollars will be sent to Ukraine.
Let’s put Americans first for a change. pic.twitter.com/ciPsJRm1tx
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) October 11, 2022
Currently, Americans are learning of multi-billion dollar aid packages to the deeply corrupt nation of Ukraine on a near-weekly basis.
Though corporate media reports have encouraged hysteria and claim that Kiev is on the verge of destruction should America not send more money, in real-life, the Ukrainian ruling class is partying on Americans’ dime, while Ukraine’s working class dies for a Sorosian cause.
Rep. Gosar’s Twitter statements come as the Arizona Congressman continues to be a leader in the America First movement, already securing re-election as no Democrat can even qualify for the ballot to take him on.
In a series of posts made to Gab last month, Gosar took on the racist affirmative action programs that deny White and Asian Americans opportunities they’ve actually earned by putting less qualified individuals in their place.
Rep. Gosar: ‘The Anti-Christian Biden Regime Will be Defeated’ | National File
BREAKING: Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry Confirms Joe Biden Attempted to Coerce Kingdom to Cut Oil Prices Until After Midterm Election | The Gateway Pundit
On Tuesday Joe Biden threatened US ally Saudi Arabia during his CNN interview. Biden told Jake Tapper Saudi Arabia will face “consequences” for its oil production cuts announced this past week.
BREAKING: Here is Joe Biden threatening Saudi Arabia if they do not ramp up oil production 1 month before Congressional elections where his party is expected to lose
This is what Trump was impeached for in 2019
Jake Tapper does not follow up on this in any way pic.twitter.com/DvPzozmvBh
— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) October 12, 2022
Less than 24 hours later on Wednesday night the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry released a public statement on social media.
The Kingdom confirmed that Joe Biden attempted to coerce them to cut oil prices until AFTER the election.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the statements issued about the Kingdom following the OPEC+ decision. pic.twitter.com/Bo7JVPDzFo
— Foreign Ministry (@KSAmofaEN) October 12, 2022
In the Foreign Ministry’s statement, the kingdom confirms that Joe Biden pressured the Saudi royalty to delay cuts in output and lower oil costs for another month until after the midterm election.
Here is the transcript:
An official at the Foreign Ministry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stated that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has viewed the statements issued about the Kingdom following the OPEC+ decision announced on October 5, 2022, which have described the decision as the Kingdom taking sides in international conflicts and that it was politically motived against the United States of America.
The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would first like to express its total rejection of these statements that are not based on facts, and which are based on portraying the OPEC+ decision out of its purely economic context. This decision was taken unanimously by all member states of the OPEC+ group.
The Kingdom affirms that the outcomes of the OPEC+ meetings are adopted through consensus among member states, and that they are not based on the unilateral decision by a single country.
These outcomes are based purely on economic considerations that take into account maintaining balance of supply and demand in the oil markets, as well as aim to limit volatility that does not serve the interests of consumers and producers, as has been always the case within OPEC +.
The OPEC+ group makes its decisions independently in accordance with established independent practices followed by the international organizations. The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would also like to clarify that based on its belief in the importance of dialogue and exchange of views with its allies and partners outside the OPEC + group regarding the situation in the oil markets, the Government of the Kingdom clarified through its continuous consultation with the US Administration that all economic analyses indicate that postponing the OPEC+ decision for a month, according to what has been suggested, would have had negative economic consequences.
The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms that any attempts to distort the facts about the Kingdom’s position regarding the crisis in Ukraine are unfortunate, and will not change the Kingdom’s principled position, including its vote to support UN resolutions regarding the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, based on the Kingdom’s position on the importance for all countries to adhere to the United Nations Charter, principles of international law, and the Kingdom’s rejection of any infringement on the sovereignty of countries over their territories.
The Kingdom stresses that while it strives to preserve the strength of its relations with all friendly countries, it affirms its rejection of any dictates, actions, or efforts to distort its noble objectives to protect the global economy from oil market volatility. Resolving economic challenges requires the establishment of a non-politicized constructive dialogue, and to wisely and rationally consider what serves the interests of all countries.
The Kingdom affirms that it view its relationship with the United States of America as a strategic one that serves the common interests of both countries. The Kingdom also stresses the importance of building on the solid pillars upon which the Saudi-US relationship had stood over the past eight decades.
These pillars include mutual respect, enhancing common interests, actively contributing to preserve regional and international peace and security, countering terrorism and extremism, and achieving prosperity for the peoples of the region.
This should lead to Congressional hearings.
Saudi Arabia Rejects White House Criticism of Oil Output Cuts, Says US Asked for Delay Until Midterms | Epoch Times
The Saudi Arabian government on Wednesday night rejected White House criticism over a decision by a cartel of key oil-producing countries to cut production of the much-needed resource and confirmed the Biden administration requested it delay until after the U.S. midterm elections.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also accused the U.S. government of attempting to “distort” the facts about the kingdom’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.
On Wednesday, White House national security adviser Ned Price denied reports that Biden administration officials had requested the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) delay its decision to cut oil production until after the midterms….
Tulsi rattles Joe Rogan with prediction that Biden regime policies will lead to ‘World War III and a nuclear holocaust’ | BizPacReview
Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard not only succeeded in drawing attention to the fanatical ideologues and warmongers who are in control of the Democratic party when she announced her departure on Tuesday, but is also raising awareness that the reckless foreign policy of the Biden regime has put America on the road to a nuclear apocalypse.
Gabbard appeared on the latest edition of Joe Rogan’s popular Spotify podcast hours after she announced her split with the party where she stunned the host with her assessment of the dire situation that currently exists with Washington D.C. feeding the fire in the increasingly dangerous conflict between Ukraine and Russia, one that she suggested could escalated into “World War III and a nuclear holocaust” and likened the American people to “sitting ducks” whose lives could be snuffed out due to the deadly games being played by our leaders.
“Are you going to run for any kind of office as an independent?” Rogan asked her of her plans for a future political career now that she is an independent.
“I’m not running for anything now,” Gabbard answered. “I am deeply, deeply concerned about this very real and imminent threat of nuclear war that no one is talking about. That no one is preparing the American people for.”
“That people are kind of sitting ducks because of the decisions that our leaders have made. If I felt that there was a way that I could stop that and make a difference and impact that and pull us back from the brink, then yeah, I’d seriously consider running again,” she said. “My concern though is like, we don’t know what’s gonna happen, and you know, we don’t know if it’s gonna be too late.”
A visibly stunned Rogan struggled to find words after her grim assessment.
“There’s no way to argue with that. That’s like — as you’re saying this, I’m like, yeah, yeah,” he said. “I mean, I wish I had a counterpoint. Is it possible that this? — Yeah, but I don’t — this does not look good. And I don’t know how many people are even really truly aware of how close we are.”
“Most people aren’t,” Gabbard said. “And part of it is because, again, the media hardly covers it. And if they do, they’re talking about it as though it’s like, you know, one missile system against the other. They’re talking about the waging of a nuclear war as though it can be won or as though there’s some kind of limitation to the destruction and devastation that it will cause,” pointing out that the thoroughly corrupt media will also have blood on its hands if Armageddon comes to pass as Biden recently suggested.
She later faulted the current leadership for failing to push for the two warring countries to get to the negotiating table to arrive at a peaceful resolution.
Rogan later asked her what she thought would happen if an unthinkable war erupted between the U.S. and Russia as a result of Biden’s brinksmanship.
“I’m gonna ask you a difficult question. What do you think is gonna happen?” Rogan asked.
“If we continue down this path that we have seen, where we have seen this war continue to escalate since the invasion happened? We will end up in World War III and a nuclear holocaust,” she said, not bothering to sugarcoat it. . .
Bannon’s War Room | Episode 2223 | Morning Edition Hour 1 | Recorded October 13, 2022 | Video: 48 Minutes 58 Seconds
Episode 2223: You’re About To Lose A Decade Of Your Financial Future; The Biden Regime Has Turned Our Country Has Become A Business Model That Does Not Work.
Bannon’s War Room | Episode 2222 | Evening Edition | Recorded October 12, 2022 | Video: 49 Minutes
Episode 2222: When You Have To Pay For Freedom Of Speech; Florida’s State Surgeon General Pushes Back Against The WAPO Accusations.
Nightly News Rebroadcast | October 12, 2022 | Video: 26 Minutes 4 Seconds
A jury on Oct. 12 ordered Alex Jones to pay $965 million to relatives of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Pro-life activist Paul Vaugn speaks out after the FBI raided his home in Tennessee last week.
Bannon’s War Room | Episode 2221 | Morning Edition Hour 2 | Recorded October 12, 2022 | Video: 48 Minutes 58 Seconds
Episode 2221: We Are Witnessing The Collapse Of The Intellectual Financial Sphere.
Bannon’s War Room | Episode 2220 | Morning Edition Hour 1 | Recorded October 12, 2022 | Video: 48 Minutes 58 Seconds
Episode 2220: Last PPI Before The Midterms; Julianne Murray On Taking Back Our Elections.
The Democrat Party Establishment Once Again Rolls Over And Shows It’s Ugly Underbelly | “Racist remarks in leaked audio of L.A. council members spark outrage, disgust” | The Los Angeles Times
Those of us who have left the Democrat Party, the party of the Ku Klux Klan, the party of Jim Crow Laws, the party of Tammany Hall, seditious infiltration of a corrupt FBI, race baiting, and Trump Derangement Syndrome, have been telling the public what really goes on behind the scenes in Democrat strongholds for time immemorial. Now and then, the general public gets a peek behind the curtain.
The Los Angeles Times first reported a profanity-laced recording of Los Angeles council members mocking people in racist terms. So what’s new?
“Martinez and the other Latino leaders present during the taped conversation were seemingly unaware they were being recorded as Martinez said a white councilmember handled his young Black son as though he were an “accessory” and described Councilman Mike Bonin’s son as “Parece changuito,” or “like a monkey.”
Racist remarks in leaked audio of L.A. council members spark outrage, disgust | Los Angeles Times
William Shatner: My Trip to Space Filled Me With ‘Overwhelming Sadness’ (EXCLUSIVE) | Variety
In this exclusive excerpt from William Shatner’s new book, “Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder,” the “Star Trek” actor reflects on his voyage into space on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space shuttle on Oct. 13, 2021. Then 90 years old, Shatner became the oldest living person to travel into space, but as the actor and author details below, he was surprised by his own reaction to the experience. . . .
I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living things—that being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe. In the film “Contact,” when Jodie Foster’s character goes to space and looks out into the heavens, she lets out an astonished whisper, “They should’ve sent a poet.” I had a different experience, because I discovered that the beauty isn’t out there, it’s down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound.
William Shatner: My Trip to Space Filled Me With ‘Overwhelming Sadness’ (EXCLUSIVE) | Variety
Could Jupiter’s Icy Moon Harbor Life? | The Atlantic
Cynthia Phillips was mesmerized when she saw the latest pictures of her favorite moon. Here at last was a fresh look at Europa, an icy satellite of Jupiter. The moon resembles a truffle drizzled haphazardly with strips of melted white chocolate, as if the universe had rushed to finish a baking-show challenge. The images gave us a new sense of Europa’s topography, its collection of ridges and troughs appearing more intricate than ever. The lighting was different this time, Phillips told me, and the shadows brought out dramatic shapes in the terrain.
The images were taken by a Jupiter-observing spacecraft as it swept past Europa last week, coming within just 222 miles (358 kilometers) of the frozen surface. Phillips, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, immediately reached for the Europa globe on her desk and began comparing the real-world views with the topography stretched over the plastic orb. The last probe to come this close to Europa was disposed of in 2003, when NASA deliberately plunged it into Jupiter’s atmosphere after the mission started running low on fuel. “We haven’t seen Europa’s surface in this level of detail for 20 years,” Phillips said.
Europa might be the best place to search for life elsewhere in the solar system. Scientists are almost certain that beneath the Jovian moon’s frozen surface is a salty ocean with more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. And such a watery subsurface environment could provide a comfortable home for small Europan life forms.
[Read: Jupiter’s frozen moon is studded with 50-foot blades of ice]
Two years from now, another NASA spacecraft will depart for the Jupiter system, specifically designed to study Europa. The probe will swing past the moon dozens of times, sometimes coasting just 16 miles (25 kilometers) above the surface. Each pass will bring scientists closer to understanding the workings of this celestial truffle and its mysterious interior. Beneath that frosty coating could be the answer to one of our biggest questions: Is there life anywhere else in the universe?
Europa is enveloped in a thick coat of water ice. (Some other moons in our solar system have ice made of methane and nitrogen—the cosmos is a weird place.) The criss-crossing lines visible in the new pictures are actually cracks and fissures in that frozen exterior. Scientists suspect that they’re caused by the stretching and squashing that Europa experiences as it orbits giant Jupiter. The moon’s terrain is sprinkled with chemical compounds such as sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate—more commonly known to Earthlings as table salt and Epsom salt—and they could indicate briny waters below.
A close-up view of Europa’s textured surface (NASA / JPL-Caltech / SWRI / MSSS
Scientists got their best evidence that a Europan ocean might exist two decades ago, when that earlier NASA spacecraft detected a magnetic connection between Europa and Jupiter that could easily be explained by the presence of a salty, global sea. This deep into the solar system, Europa’s underground ocean wouldn’t feel the warmth of the sun; it would stay liquid because of Jupiter’s gravitational tugging. In recent years, telescopes have detected signs of plumes of water vapor spewing out of the cracks and into space. Scientists believe that Europa’s ocean could be as old as the moon itself, about 4 billion years or so, which would give life plenty of time and a stable environment in which to evolve, Phillips said.
[Read: Europa’s mysterious glow]
The data suggest that Europa has a rocky mantle—the layer between the moon’s crust and core—and when rock and water come together, magical things can happen: Chemical interactions between them are known to produce hydrogen-rich materials for tiny creatures to metabolize. “On our own planet, hydrothermal systems at the seafloor provide energy for communities of microorganisms,” Samantha Trumbo, a planetary scientist at Cornell who studies icy ocean worlds like Europa, told me.
The upcoming NASA mission, named Clipper—a nod to the speedy, lightweight vessels favored by 19th-century merchants—will study nearly every bit of the Europan surface. If it gets lucky, the spacecraft could fly through some plume particles, take a sip, and analyze the contents. Alyssa Rhoden, a planetary geophysicist at the Southwest Research Institute who studies Europa, is most excited about a Clipper instrument designed to detect warmer-than-usual spots on the moon’s surface. “When you look at Europa’s surface, you can see a lot of pits where the surface seems to have dropped down a little bit, places where the surface has been disrupted,” Rhoden told me. “We think that that’s happening from heating coming from below.” That signature could simply indicate the presence of melted bits of ice near the frigid crust—or it could mean a roiling sea has floated toward the surface, perhaps bringing any tiny inhabitants with it.
[Read: Exploring the oceans of the outer solar system]
The Clipper mission is not meant to find definitive proof that life exists on Europa, only explore whether the moon has the right conditions and chemistry to make life possible. Evidence of life will require more missions, guided by Clipper’s data, that could land on the Europan surface and drill into the ice. NASA is also searching for life elsewhere in the solar system, notably on Mars, where a rover is collecting samples from a dried-up river delta. But Europa is a more tantalizing target, and so are the other ocean moons sprinkled across the solar system, such as Enceladus and Titan, which orbit Saturn, and Triton, around Neptune. The Mars mission is designed to search for signs of fossilized life that existed several billion years ago, when water once flowed on the planet. “It’s quite possible that Mars could have had life in the past, in a warmer-weather era, and it’s possible that there are subsurface pockets on Mars that could have remnants of this living biosphere,” Phillips said. “But on somewhere like Europa, life could exist there now.”
And what might humanity, by way of carefully engineered machines, find on Europa, once we’ve figured out which melty bits to inspect? “I would love for there to be Europan whales swimming around in that ocean,” Phillips said with a laugh. But alien life, if it exists, is likely to be small and simple. Energy sources are limited in the Europan depths, and scientists don’t think the environment can support the development of more complex organisms, Phillips said. Still, even the discovery of a single microbe would mark an explosive event in human history. It would mean that life had managed to spring up in two different places around the same star—in a universe absolutely brimming with stars. If it happened more than once here, in our own solar system, it’s likely happened elsewhere in the cosmos, around someone else’s sun. This is why scientists are so eager to catch a glimpse of Europa, and prepare as much as they can for the exploration to come. “We all want it to be water,” Rhoden said. “We all want it to be a cool plumbing system in the shell with lots of activity, and someday we’ll get down there and find little Europan sea urchins clinging to the bottom of the ice.”
Nightly News Rebroadcast | October 11, 2022 | Video: 26 Minutes 13 Seconds
In a filing to the Supreme Court on Oct. 11, the Justice Department urged the court to reject a request from former President Donald Trump to intervene in the dispute over classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago. Actress Angela Lansbury, the star of the mystery series “Murder, She Wrote,” has died at 96.