The Knot Pattern Found on the "Earlier Version Mona Lisa" Is Not by the Hand of Leonardo da Vinci

Caroline Cocciardi author of "Leonardo's Knots"

NBC's "Today Show" reported as to the possibility of an earlier version by the hand of Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci of "Mona Lisa," the most famous painting in the world. The consortium who purchased the so-called "Isleworth Mona Lisa" and changed the painting's name to "Earlier Version Mona Lisa" claims it is by the maestro. While some experts suggest the painting is a mere copy, a handful of art historians believe it to be an earlier, unfinished version by Leonardo da Vinci himself.

Caroline Cocciardi, the author of "Leonardo's Knots" claims she can prove the knot pattern to be found on the "Earlier Version Mona Lisa" is not by the hand of Leonardo da Vinci. 

"We have several knot drawings done by Leonardo da Vinci in 1490, the year this so-called 'Earlier Version Mona Lisa' was supposedly painted. Leonardo was at the top of his game mixing artistic design with elaborate mathematical patterns. We have five Codex notebook pages by Leonardo that are standalone mathematical knot gems."

Cocciardi adds, "Leonardo's knots are his personal signature. No copyist has successfully captured the intricacies of the 'Mona Lisa Knot,' which have been painstakingly and brilliantly executed. Whoever painted the knots on 'The Earlier Mona Lisa' was a journeyman at best and demonstrated no knowledge of mathematics."

Knot mathematician Emeritus Professor Kenneth C. Millet, Department of Mathematics, University of California, Santa Barbara, conducted a mathematical analysis of Leonardo's knot art, such as the "Mona Lisa Knot" found on the bodice of her dress. Professor Millet's findings were published in the "Journal of Mathematics and the Arts." "Leonardo da Vinci as an artist and as a mathematician was in a league of his own, a master in complex knotted designs," explains Professor Millet.

In an interview given to "The Art Newspaper" Martin Kemp, author of the newly released book "Leonardo's Salvator Mundi," agrees with Cocciardi's knot findings. Kemp goes on describing "sloppily executed elements—such as the mistake in the interlaced knot design on the crossed bands, or the clumsy folds at the top of the robe," errors that Kemp attributes to an assistant.

Cocciardi doubles down, "When you see the interlocking complexity executed in 'Accademia Vinciana' six mandalas you see Leonardo's genius displayed on the most miniscule of scales. Leonardo's knot art speaks for itself."

"Art history, mathematical analysis, and high technology will cooperate more closely in the future and contribute to the development of new methodologies for art authentication," concludes Cocciardi.

Leonardo da Vinci - Portrait attributed to Francesco Melzi

More About Leonardo da Vinci:

(via Wikipedia)

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (14/15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519), known as Leonardo da Vinci, was an Italian polymath of the Renaissance whose areas of interest included invention, drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, paleontology, and cartography. 

He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time (despite perhaps only 15 of his paintings having survived).

Born out of wedlock to a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, in Vinci, in the region of Florence, Italy, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Italian painter Andrea del Verrocchio. 

Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan, and he later worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice. He spent his last three years in France, where he died in 1519.

Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. The Mona Lisa is the most famous of his works and the most popular portrait ever made. The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of all time and his Vitruvian Man drawing is regarded as a cultural icon as well. Salvator Mundi was sold for a world record $450.3 million at a Christie's auction in New York, 15 November 2017, the highest price ever paid for a work of art. 

Leonardo's paintings and preparatory drawings—together with his notebooks, which contain sketches, scientific diagrams, and his thoughts on the nature of painting—compose a contribution to later generations of artists rivalled only by that of his contemporary Michelangelo.

About Caroline Cocciardi:

Cocciardi book "Leonardo's Knots" was highlighted in "The Art Newspaper" stating "a new way of thinking is addressed by Caroline Cocciardi, who explores the many potential variants of knots drawn by Leonardo."

SOURCE: Caroline Cocciardi

New Technique May Give NASA's Webb Telescope a Way to Quickly Identify Planets with Oxygen

Conceptual image of water-bearing (left) and dry (right) exoplanets with oxygen-rich atmospheres. Crescents are other planets in the system, and the red sphere is the M-dwarf star around which the exoplanets orbit. The dry exoplanet is closer to the star, so the star appears larger. (Credits: NASA/GSFC/Friedlander-Griswold)

Researchers may have found a way that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope can quickly identify nearby planets that could be promising for our search for life, as well as worlds that are uninhabitable because their oceans have vaporized.

Since planets around other stars (exoplanets) are so far away, scientists cannot look for signs of life by visiting these distant worlds. Instead, they must use a cutting-edge telescope like Webb to see what's inside the atmospheres of exoplanets. One possible indication of life, or biosignature, is the presence of oxygen in an exoplanet's atmosphere. Oxygen is generated by life on Earth when organisms such as plants, algae and cyanobacteria use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into chemical energy.

But what should Webb look for to determine if a planet has a lot of oxygen? In a new study, researchers identified a strong signal that oxygen molecules produce when they collide. Scientists say Webb has the potential to detect this signal in the atmospheres of exoplanets.

"Before our work, oxygen at similar levels as on Earth was thought to be undetectable with Webb, but we identify a promising way to detect it in nearby planetary systems," said Universities Space Research Association's Thomas Fauchez at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "This oxygen signal is known since the early 80's from Earth's atmospheric studies,but has never been studied for exoplanet research." Fauchez is the lead author of the study, appearing in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The researchers used a computer model to simulate this oxygen signature by modeling the atmospheric conditions of an exoplanet around an M dwarf, the most common type of star in the universe. M dwarf stars are much smaller, cooler, and fainter than our Sun, yet much more active, with explosive activity that generates intense ultraviolet light. The team modelled the impact of this enhanced radiation on atmospheric chemistry, and used this to simulate how the component colors of the star's light would change when the planet would pass in front of it.

As starlight passes through the exoplanet's atmosphere, the oxygen absorbs certain colors (wavelengths) of light— in this case, infrared light with a wavelength of 6.4 micrometers. When oxygen molecules collide with each other or with other molecules in the exoplanet's atmosphere, energy from the collision puts the oxygen molecule in a special state that temporarily allows it to absorb the infrared light. Infrared light is invisible to the human eye, but detectable using instruments attached to telescopes.

"Similar oxygen signals exist at 1.06 and 1.27 micrometers and have been discussed in previous studies but these are less strong and much more mitigated by the presence of clouds than the 6.4 micrometer signal," said Geronimo Villanueva, a co-author of the paper at Goddard.

Intriguingly, oxygen can also make an exoplanet appear to host life when it does not, because it can accumulate in a planet's atmosphere without any life activity at all. For example, if the exoplanet is too close to its host star or receives too much star light, the atmosphere becomes very warm and saturated with water vapor from evaporating oceans. This water could be then broken down by the strong ultraviolet radiation into atomic hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen, which is a light atom, escapes to space very easily, leaving the oxygen behind.

Over time, this process can cause entire oceans to be lost while building up a thick oxygen atmosphere. So, abundant oxygen in an exoplanet's atmosphere does not necessarily mean abundant life, but may instead indicate a rich water history.

"Depending upon how easily Webb detects this 6.4 micrometer signal, we can get an idea about how likely it is that the planet is habitable," said Ravi Kopparapu, a co-author of the paper at Goddard. "If Webb points to a planet and detects this 6.4 micrometer signal with relative ease, this would mean that the planet has a very dense oxygen atmosphere and may be uninhabitable."

The oxygen signal is so strong that it also can tell astronomers whether M dwarf planets have atmospheres at all, using just a few Webb transit observations.

"This is important because M dwarf stars are highly active, and it has been postulated that stellar activity might 'blow away' entire planetary atmospheres," said Fauchez. "Knowing simply whether a planet orbiting an M dwarf can have an atmosphere at all is important for understanding star-planet interactions around these abundant but active stars."

Although the oxygen signal is strong, cosmic distances are vast and M dwarfs are dim, so these stars will have to be relatively nearby for Webb to detect the signal in exoplanet atmospheres within a reasonable amount of time. An exoplanet with a modern Earth-like atmosphere will have to be orbiting an M dwarf that is within approximately 16 light-years of Earth. For a desiccated exoplanet with an oxygen atmosphere 22 times the pressure of Earth's, the signal could be detected up to about 82 light-years away. One light-year, the distance light travels in a year, is almost six trillion miles. For comparison, the closest stars to our Sun are found in the Alpha Centauri system a little over 4 light-years away, and our galaxy is about 100,000 light-years across.

The research was funded in part by Goddard's Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration (SEEC), which is funded in part by the NASA Planetary Science Division's Internal Scientist Funding Model. This project has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant, the NASA Astrobiology Institute Alternative Earths team, and the NExSS Virtual Planetary Laboratory.

Blueprints of the James Webb Space Telescope (image via NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on Flickr)

Webb will be the world's premier space science observatory, when it launches in 2021. It will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.

SOURCE: Universities Space Research Association

A Remarkable Year For Pointe-à-Callière In 2019 - The Montreal Museum of Archaelogy and History Continues To Draw Crowds [Videos Included]

Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, drew 504,793 visitors over the past year, making 2019 the second busiest year in the Museum’s history. (CNW Group/Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaelogy and History)

Pointe-à-Callière had an extremely successful year in 2019—renewing two of its permanent exhibitions and presenting three international-calibre temporary exhibitions. The incredibly wide range of subjects addressed in the exhibitions and cultural activities drew 504,793 visitors to the Museum over the past year, making 2019 the second busiest year in Pointe-à-Callière's history.

The Incas, Treasures of Peru exhibition at Pointe-à-Callière (CNW Group/Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaelogy and History)

New technology in the spotlight

Last April, Pointe-à-Callière inaugurated the new multimedia show Generations MTL, projected onto a one-of-a-kind immersive installation. In addition to enjoying a very positive audience reaction, the show was recognized at the 2019 Muse Design Awards, an international competition that rewards professionals in the world of design and creativity. 

The Museum also created new versions of its virtual characters, taking advantage of the latest developments in voice recognition, artificial intelligence, and real-time 3D animation. 

"New technologies allow us to give our visitors a variety of experiences and, above all, to bring history and an exceptional archaeological site to life. We are seeing it more and more among our visitors, the efforts made to offer interactive and immersive museology are very highly appreciated," explains Francine Lelièvre, Executive Director of Pointe-à-Callière.

Privileged access to rarely shown objects

One of the standout moments for the Museum in 2019 was the presentation of Dinner is Served! The Story of French Cuisine, entirely created and produced by Pointe-à-Callière. 

This exhibition, one of the first to address the subject of the French gastronomic meal—recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage—allowed for the presentation of exceptional objects that, in some cases, had never left France. In fact, the Museum's exhibition captured the attention of several French museums, and it is notably scheduled to travel to Sèvres, Cité de la céramique in 2020.

Pointe-à-Callière was also able to secure the loan of important and invaluable objects from the Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire in Brussels for the exhibition The Incas, Treasures of Peru, in an exclusive North American engagement until April 13 of this year. Some of the featured objects made of feathers and textiles are extremely old and so fragile that they will no longer be able to travel or to be displayed ever again. 

"After over 25 years of operation, Pointe-à-Callière has acquired great credibility among many lenders around the world, and the relationships we have established allow us to present exceptional pieces and objects to both Montrealers and visitors," states Francine Lelièvre.

The Museum also had the chance to extend by one year the presentation of the exhibition Into the Wonder Room, which gathers over 1,000 objects from the Musée des Confluences, some ten other institutions, and private collectors. 

This exhibition, which examines the unique world of cabinets of curiosities, was seen by over 200,000 people in 2019, including many children who are fascinated by the exotic and often unusual objects on display. This exhibition will continue until January 10, 2021 at Pointe-à-Callière.

The circus in the centre ring at the Museum in the summer of 2020

Starting on May 27, 2020, Pointe-à-Callière will present an all-new exhibition on the circus arts, with several activities for the whole family. The exhibition will trace the history of the circus, from early performances by travelling circus troupes in Europe and elsewhere to today's over-the-top international shows. 

The exhibition, imagined and created by Pointe-à-Callière, will show how the circus arts have rapidly taken root and grown in Québec and Montréal in recent decades. Through the presentation of over 350 objects, it will pay tribute to this art form that is further raising Montréal's profile on the international scene. 

Costumes, set pieces, works of art, accessories, scale models, iconic objects, training and stage equipment will be displayed alongside archives, photos, video footage, and projections. All of it will come together to recreate a world of fantasy, taking visitors on an unforgettable adventure that speaks to an extraordinary legacy.

SOURCE: Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaelogy and History

Scientists Find Evidence that Venus has Active Volcanoes

A real-colour image taken by Mariner 10 processed from two filters; the surface is obscured by thick sulfuric acid clouds (image via Wikipedia)

New research led by Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and recently published in Science Advances shows that lava flows on Venus may be only a few years old, suggesting that Venus could be volcanically active today — making it the only planet in our solar system, other than Earth, with recent eruptions.

"If Venus is indeed active today, it would make a great place to visit to better understand the interiors of planets," says Dr. Justin Filiberto, the study's lead author and a USRA staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). "For example, we could study how planets cool and why the Earth and Venus have active volcanism, but Mars does not. Future missions should be able to see these flows and changes in the surface and provide concrete evidence of its activity."

Radar imaging from NASA's Magellan spacecraft in the early 1990s revealed Venus, our neighboring planet, to be a world of volcanoes and extensive lava flows. In the 2000s, the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Venus Express orbiter shed new light on volcanism on Venus by measuring the amount of infrared light emitted from part of Venus' surface (during its nighttime). These new data allowed scientists to identify fresh versus altered lava flows on the surface of Venus. However, until recently, the ages of lava eruptions and volcanoes on Venus were not well known because the alteration rate of fresh lava was not well constrained.

This figure shows the volcanic peak Idunn Mons (at 46 degrees south latitude, 214.5 degrees east longitude) in the Imdr Regio area of Venus. The colored overlay shows the heat patterns derived from surface brightness data collected by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS), aboard the European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA)

Dr. Filiberto and his colleagues recreated Venus' hot caustic atmosphere in the laboratory to investigate how the observed Venusian minerals react and change over time. Their experimental results showed that an abundant mineral in basalt — olivine — reacts rapidly with the atmosphere and within weeks becomes coated with the iron oxide minerals — magnetite and hematite. They further found that the Venus Express observations of this change in mineralogy would only take a few years to occur. Thus, the new results by Filiberto and coauthors suggest that these lava flows on Venus are very young, which would imply that Venus does indeed have active volcanoes. 

SOURCE: Universities Space Research Association

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Disneyland Resort Welcomes the Year of the Mouse with a Limited-Time Lunar New Year Event

Disneyland Resort in California welcomes a year of good fortune with Lunar New Year celebrations at Disney California Adventure Park from Jan. 17 - Feb. 9, 2020. Celebrating the Year of the Mouse, the limited-time festival features "Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession," pictured here, plus “Hurry Home - Lunar New Year Celebration” prior to “World of Color,” a Lucky Wishing Wall, delectable foods and more.

Disneyland Resort celebrates the Year of the Mouse this Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park, Jan. 17 through Feb. 9, 2020. During the 24 days of this multicultural celebration, guests will enjoy exciting live entertainment and musical performances, including "Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession" and the return of the heartwarming "Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration" prior to the "World of Color" nighttime spectacular.

This unique Lunar New Year celebration comes alive with a touch of Disney magic as transformative Asian celebrations dedicate the new year. Guests will experience inspired food, music and entertainment with loved ones as they celebrate the Year of the Mouse together. Lunar New Year, traditionally celebrated within Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures, celebrates the celestial journey of the sun and the moon on their journey towards another year. 

Highlights of the Lunar New Year celebration at Disney California Adventure include:

• "Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession" is a celebratory parade led by Mulan that honors Lunar New Year and dedicates the new year's blessings to family and friendship. As a special treat for the Year of the Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse join the procession in new celebration attire, along with Goofy in his "god of Good Fortune" attire and Chip 'n' Dale in their red vests. Talented performers bring dance, martial arts and drumming to enhance the beautifully colorful procession. "Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession" will run several times, daily.
• "Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration," is a heartwarming nighttime water show at Paradise Bay prior to "World of Color" which tells the tale of a little lantern's quest to reunite with family for the annual celebration of good luck and fortune. Guests will be delighted to see Mulan as a part of the little lantern's journey.
• Beloved characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will don new festive Lunar New Year attire this year as they greet guests at Paradise Gardens. Other characters guests may find in this area include Mulan, Pluto, and the Three Little Pigs who also join in the Lunar New Year celebration.
• Guests will enjoy four festive marketplaces to experience delightful food and beverages inspired by Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures, including the new smoked beef bulgogi short rib and the peach sojito, as well as many other new and returning favorites. The popular Sip and Savor pass is available for any guest to purchase if they wish to get the best value as they taste their way through the festive Asian marketplaces. 
• A special Lunar New Year menu at Paradise Garden Grill offers items inspired by traditional Asian fare, plus a Festival Cart inside Paradise Gardens and special food options at Lucky Fortune Cookery in Pacific Wharf.
• Live, daily performances by authentic Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese dancers and musicians will take place throughout Paradise Gardens Park.
• Enjoy areas for guests to try complimentary arts and crafts. One area features a complimentary dragon's pearl coloring craft, and another features Chinese calligraphy with local artisans. Plus, new face painting opportunities have been added to the Lunar New Year celebration, available for purchase.
• A Lucky Wishing Wall, located in Paradise Gardens, is where guests may write down wishes and tie them to the wall in hopes for a prosperous future.
• The educational art walls provide guests with information about the festival, including fun details such as "What Year Are You?" as well as the unique story of Lunar New Year in each culture that celebrates the sun and moon festival.
• Inspiring Lunar New Year décor symbolizes good luck, fortune and happiness in bold red and brilliant gold. Guests will see ornamental lanterns and banners wishing guests a Happy Lunar New Year in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
• New Lunar New Year merchandise inspired by different cultures of East Asia will be available for purchase. This year, guests will find all-new spirit jerseys, fun bobble-head figures with Chip and Dale, a traditional red envelope set, themed Minnie Mouse ear headbands and more.

Disneyland Resort Welcomes the Year of the Mouse with a Limited-Time Lunar New Year Event (image via Disneyland Resort)

SOURCE: Disneyland Resort

iQIYI Announces Theatrical Release of its First Original Animation Film 'Spycies' Across Overseas Markets [Trailer Included]

Spycies - British Movie Poster (image via CineMaterial)

iQIYI, Inc. has announced that Spycies, a family-friendly animated film produced by iQIYI Pictures, will hit theaters across China on January 11. Following its China premiere, the film will be subsequently released in overseas markets including Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.

Spycies revolves around an alluring and complex action-adventure between "Spy Cat" Vladimir and "Hacker Mouse" Hector set in a modern animal kingdom. In the thrilling and entertaining animal world, the production team created and produced more than 40 species, over 90 animal characters, and more than 60 scenes. 

Spycies features endangered animals such as white rhinos and snow leopards, nationally protected animals such as lorises, and extinct animals such as mammoths. 

The film realized numerous special effects. For example, the design of distinctive fur animations for each species in Spycies was based on research of the animals' actual physical characteristics including fur pattern, material, length, and density. 

"With the superb animation effects, exciting storyline, and family-friendly themes, this film will undoubtedly succeed in delighting parents and children alike," said Ya Ning, President of iQIYI Pictures. "Spycies will further be released in overseas markets, and we look forward to bringing more premium content to our global audiences in the future."

iQIYI Announces Theatrical Release of its First Original Animation Film Spycies Across Overseas Markets

More About Spycies:

(via IMDb)

"Vladimir, a highly skilled but disobedient secret agent, gets left to rot for his attitude on an off-shore platform, watching over a top-secret material: the Radiuzite. There, he is compelled to team up with Hector, a rookie agent, whose only wish is to play video games and watch soap operas. Following an intrusion on the platform, this unusual team rush into a crazy investigation inside an even crazier hospital. There, they'll have to find the stolen Radiuzite and discover the truth about a climate threat which endangers species on the brink of extinction. "

The Trailer:

• In 2018, Spycies was nominated by the Cannes International Film Festival's "Annecy Goes Cannes" unit based on the Annecy International Animated Film Festival's judging panel recommendation.

SOURCE: iQIYI, Inc.

Alien Life Is Out There, But Our Theories Are Probably Steering Us Away From It

  

Distant planet system in space with exoplanets during sunrise (sdecoret/Shutterstock)

If we discovered evidence of alien life, would we even realise it? Life on other planets could be so different from what we’re used to that we might not recognise any biological signatures that it produces.

Recent years have seen changes to our theories about what counts as a biosignature and which planets might be habitable, and further turnarounds are inevitable. But the best we can really do is interpret the data we have with our current best theory, not with some future idea we haven’t had yet.

This is a big issue for those involved in the search for extraterrestrial life. As Scott Gaudi of Nasa’s Advisory Council has said: “One thing I am quite sure of, now having spent more than 20 years in this field of exoplanets … expect the unexpected.”

But is it really possible to “expect the unexpected”? Plenty of breakthroughs happen by accident, from the discovery of penicillin to the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang. These often reflect a degree of luck on behalf of the researchers involved. When it comes to alien life, is it enough for scientists to assume “we’ll know it when we see it”?

Many results seem to tell us that expecting the unexpected is extraordinarily difficult. “We often miss what we don’t expect to see,” according to cognitive psychologist Daniel Simons, famous for his work on inattentional blindness. His experiments have shown how people can miss a gorilla banging its chest in front of their eyes. Similar experiments also show how blind we are to non-standard playing cards such as a black four of hearts. In the former case, we miss the gorilla if our attention is sufficiently occupied. In the latter, we miss the anomaly because we have strong prior expectations.

Watching this video shows how you can miss something as unusual as a gorilla if your attention is diverted.

There are also plenty of relevant examples in the history of science. Philosophers describe this sort of phenomenon as “theory-ladenness of observation”. What we notice depends, quite heavily sometimes, on our theories, concepts, background beliefs and prior expectations. Even more commonly, what we take to be significant can be biased in this way.

For example, when scientists first found evidence of low amounts of ozone in the atmosphere above Antarctica, they initially dismissed it as bad data. With no prior theoretical reason to expect a hole, the scientists ruled it out in advance. Thankfully, they were minded to double check, and the discovery was made.

More than 200,000 stars captured in one small section of the sky by Nasa’s TESS mission. (Nasa)

Could a similar thing happen in the search for extraterrestrial life? Scientists studying planets in other solar systems (exoplanets) are overwhelmed by the abundance of possible observation targets competing for their attention. In the last 10 years scientists have identified more than 3,650 planets - more than one a day. And with missions such as NASA’s TESS exoplanet hunter this trend will continue.

Each and every new exoplanet is rich in physical and chemical complexity. It is all too easy to imagine a case where scientists do not double check a target that is flagged as “lacking significance”, but whose great significance would be recognised on closer analysis or with a non-standard theoretical approach.

The Müller-Lyer optical illusion. (Fibonacci/Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

However, we shouldn’t exaggerate the theory-ladenness of observation. In the Müller-Lyer illusion, a line ending in arrowheads pointing outwards appears shorter than an equally long line with arrowheads pointing inwards. Yet even when we know for sure that the two lines are the same length, our perception is unaffected and the illusion remains. Similarly, a sharp-eyed scientist might notice something in her data that her theory tells her she should not be seeing. And if just one scientist sees something important, pretty soon every scientist in the field will know about it.

History also shows that scientists are able to notice surprising phenomena, even biased scientists who have a pet theory that doesn’t fit the phenomena. The 19th-century physicist David Brewster incorrectly believed that light is made up of particles travelling in a straight line. But this didn’t affect his observations of numerous phenomena related to light, such as what’s known as birefringence in bodies under stress. Sometimes observation is definitely not theory-laden, at least not in a way that seriously affects scientific discovery.

We need to be open-minded

Certainly, scientists can’t proceed by just observing. Scientific observation needs to be directed somehow. But at the same time, if we are to “expect the unexpected”, we can’t allow theory to heavily influence what we observe, and what counts as significant. We need to remain open-minded, encouraging exploration of the phenomena in the style of Brewster and similar scholars of the past.

Studying the universe largely unshackled from theory is not only a legitimate scientific endeavour – it’s a crucial one. The tendency to describe exploratory science disparagingly as “fishing expeditions” is likely to harm scientific progress. Under-explored areas need exploring, and we can’t know in advance what we will find.

In the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists must be thoroughly open-minded. And this means a certain amount of encouragement for non-mainstream ideas and techniques. Examples from past science (including very recent ones) show that non-mainstream ideas can sometimes be strongly held back. Space agencies such as NASA must learn from such cases if they truly believe that, in the search for alien life, we should “expect the unexpected”.

About Today's Contributor:

Peter Vickers, Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science, Durham University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

eBay Unveils the Most Interesting and Expensive Purchases of 2019

2015 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, 2019 Lamborghini Urus "Bianco Icarus,” 2005 Ford Ford GT, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and a 2019 Lamborghini Huracan are among the most expensive 2019 eBay Motors purchases.

Today, eBay has released its annual 'Most Interesting and Expensive Purchases' of the year list, taking a look back at some of the most notable purchases of 2019. This year high-end shoppers scooped up everything from rare sports memorabilia, supercars, luxury timepieces, to experiences for good, regardless of the price tag. 

In 2019 alone, some of the most expensive items sold on eBay fetched more than $4 million.

These high ticket items varied from over $7,000 to $4.5 million. And, the biggest sales came from multiple categories, including investment caliber cards, luxury vehicles, fine watches and more! Record high sales included a Tom Brady 2000 Autographed Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Trading Card, which sold over $400,000 (signed by the six-time Super Bowl winner set the record for highest-sum ever paid for a football card) and a Michael Jordan 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Card that sold over $350,000 (one of 10 ever made and the highest priced basketball card ever sold on eBay).

eBay also pulled the most expensive purchases on eBay for Charity in 2019, which included lunch with Warren Buffett, an overnight stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite at Magic Kingdom Park, benefiting organizations like The V Foundation for Cancer Research and Homes For Our Troops.

Check out a breakdown of 2019's most expensive purchases on eBay across gaming, sports, fashion, cars and more:

Top 20 Overall Most Expensive eBay Purchases in 2019

• 20th Annual Power Lunch with Warren Buffett to Benefit GLIDE: $4,567,888
• Tom Brady 2000 Autographed Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Trading Card: $400,100
• Michael Jordan 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Card: $350,100
• 2015 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster: $349,800
• 2014 Newmar King Aire Motorhome: $280,000
• 2019 Lamborghini Urus "Bianco Icarus": $245,995
• 1986 Piper Malibu: $225,000
• 2005 Ford Ford GT: $220,000
• 2019 Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2: $209,900
• 2012 Lamborghini Aventador 2dr Coupe: $200,000
• 2019 Porsche 911: $199,000
• 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago: $190,000
• 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia: $185,000
• 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder: $174,995
• 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead: $172,100
• 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe: $169,700
• Magic The Gathering MTG Black Lotus Card: $166,100
• Patek Philippe Grand Complications Calendar Manual Gold Men's Watch, 5270G-014: $139,500
• Patek Philippe Grand Complications Perpetual Calendar Chrono Watch, 5270G-018: $125,000
• Rolex New 18 Kt Rose Gold Masterpiece Pave Diamond Bracelet, 86285, Sant Blanc: $100,001

GLIDE’s 20th annual eBay for Charity Power Lunch with Warren Buffett sold for a record-breaking $4,567,888 on May 31, 2019, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the legendary auction.

Top 10 Most Expensive eBay for Charity Purchases in 2019

• 20th Annual Power Lunch with Warren Buffett to Benefit GLIDE: $4,567,888
• Miranda Lambert Closet Clear Out + Meet & Greet: $103,850.29
• Stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite at Magic Kingdom Park: $75,600
• Custom "Moon Landing" Under Armour Curry 6 Shoes Worn & Signed by Stephen Curry: $58,100.00
• UFC Ultimate Fan Experience + Private Meet & Greet with Dana White: $52,137
• Pitch Lunch with Dallas Mavericks' Owner Mark Cuban: $43,108
• Creation Storm, 2017 Art Piece by April Gornik: $39,100
• Attend the Premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of SkyWalker: $35,108
• Alabama Football Experience with Coach Nick Saban: $35,100
• Ultimate Le Batard Experience: $25,708

Most Expensive Cars Bought on eBay in 2019

• 2015 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster: $349,800
• 2019 Lamborghini Urus "Bianco Icarus": $245,995
• 2005 Ford Ford GT: $220,000
• 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class: $219,000
• 2019 Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2: $209,900

Record-breaking sale of a rare Tom Brady rookie trading card for $400,100 sold in February 2019, the highest price for a football card sold at auction.

Most Expensive Trading Cards Bought on eBay in 2019

• Tom Brady 2000 Autographed Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Trading Card: $400,100
• Michael Jordan 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Card: $350,100
• Magic The Gathering MTG Black Lotus Card: $166,100
• Magic The Gathering MTG 1993 Alpha Black Lotus Card: $39,900.68
• Magic The Gathering MTG 1993 Alpha Birds Of Paradise Card: $37,877

Most Expensive Entertainment Memorabilia Bought on eBay in 2019

• 1964 Rolling Stones First Tour Concert Poster with Ticket Sub, Rare: $25,100
• World of Warcraft 15th Anniversary Signed Art Print: $20,000
• Rock-ola Beatles Yellow Submarine Juke Box, Original, New In Box: $18,500
• Life Size Star Wars R2D2 Remote Control Aluminum Full Size Prop: $17,500
• 1940s-1950s Hollywood Autograph Collection featuring James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne: $15,100
• Stan Lee Signed Infinity Gauntlet: $15,000

Top Luxury Watches Bought on eBay in 2019

• Patek Philippe Grand Complications Calendar Manual Gold Men's Watch, 5270G-014: $139,500
• Patek Philippe Grand Complications Perpetual Calendar Chrono Watch, 5270G-018: $125,000
• Rolex 18 Kt Rose Gold Masterpiece Pave Diamond Bracelet: $100,001
• Richard Mille Automatic Chronograph in Rose Gold/ Titanium Watch : $96,900
• Rolex Daytona White Gold Auto 40mm Diamond Strap Deployant Watch: $89,950

Top Jewelry Bought on eBay in 2019

• 5.01 Yellow Diamond in Gold ring + 1ct Side Stones: $65,950
• 7.31 Ct Light Yellow Princess Cut Diamond in Platinum 18K: $55,000
• Tiffany & Co 2.52 Ct Lucida Diamond Engagement Ring: $41,500
• 8.84 Ct Natural Sapphire Diamond Ring: $40,000
• Roberto Coin Cento 2.008 Ct Round Diamond Solitaire Engagement Ring: $36,000

Top Handbags Bought on eBay in 2019

• Hermes Birkin 30 Malachite Togo Green Handbag: $9,850
• Hermes Birkin 30 Black Clemence Leather Palladium Hardware Handbag: $9,500
• Hermes Birkin Palladium Hardware Handbag with Key and Lock: $9,500
• Hermes Birkin 30CM Black Gold Tone Togo Handbag: $9,000
• Hermes Constance Handbag Evercolor 24: $8,924

Top Sneakers Bought on eBay in 2019

• Nike Zoom Vapor Roger Federer Tennis Shoes: $10,000
• Nike Air Mag 2016 Back to the Future, Marty McFly, Self Lacing: $9,000
• Nike Sb Dunk Low "Freddy Kreuger": $8,000
• 1985 Original OG Nike Air Jordan 1 Chicago, White, Black Red Bred 4280: $7,500

Top Vinyl Bought on eBay in 2019

• Northern Soul Del Larks Queen City 1967: $13,101
• Mozart's Piano Sonatas by Vlado Perlemuter: $13,000
• Beethoven's Violin Concerto by Leonid Kogan: $9,400
• George Szell Beethoven No 9: $7,760
• Bob Dylan Freewheelin' with 4 Different Tracks: $7,500

Top Comic Books Bought on eBay in 2019

• 1962 Marvel Amazing Fantasy #15, CGC 5.0, Spider Man's Origin/First Appearance, Huge Key Issue: $32,000
• Fantastic Four #1: $30,000
• Amazing Fantasy #15, Origin/First Appearance of Spider Man: $29,999
• Incredible Hulk #1, Hulk's Origin/First Appearance: $29,500
• Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider Man's Origin/First Appearance: $26,422

Top Action Figures Sold in 2019

• 1977 Star Wars Action Figures: $12,600
• Ideal Super Queens Batgirl Original 1967 Action Figure: $6,000
• Complete Set of Original Star Wars Kenner Action Figures from 1976 to 1985: $5,600
• Lord of the Rings Action Figures: $4,875
• Captain Action Super Queen 1967 Ideal Wonder Woman: $4,200

Top Video Games Sold in 2019

• NES Stadium Events NTSC Nintendo Game: $15,499
• NES Nintendo Kid Icarus VGA 85+, Gold: $14,000
• Super Mario World Nintendo Black Label SNES: $13,500
• Nintendo World Championships 1990 NWC Cartridge #273: $13,500
• Mike Tyson's Punch-Out Original NES 1989 White Label: $12,211

Top eBay for Charity sales in 2019 also included an overnight stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite at Magic Kingdom® Park, custom "Moon Landing" Under Armour Curry 6 Shoes Worn & Signed by Stephen Curry, UFC Ultimate Fan Experience + Private Meet & Greet with Dana White. Campaigns have benefited organizations like The V Foundation for Cancer Research and Homes For Our Troops.

SOURCE: eBay Inc.

Dracula: Free Movement Of Vampires A Fitting Horror Story For The #Brexit Era

Bloody and unbowed: Claes Bang as Dracula. (BBC/Hartswood Films/Netflix/David Ellis)

Fictional vampires tend to reflect the politics of the times that produce them: “Because they are always changing, their appeal is dramatically generational,” says the late American scholar Nina Auerbach in her classic work of criticism Our Vampires, Ourselves. The figure of the vampire, she suggests, always tells us as much about ourselves as it does about vampires per se.

With this in mind, the first episode of the new adaptation of Dracula for the BBC and Netflix by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss is at first perplexing. Unlike Moffat’s previous, modernising adaptations of 19th-century fiction – Jekyll (2007) and Sherlock (2010-17) – the series returns to 1897, the year in which Bram Stoker published his novel.

The setting is high Gothic, featuring a crumbling, eastern European castle (Orava Castle in Slovakia) and a convent full of crucifix-toting nuns. Eschewing the sentimental romance of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation or the wildly successful Twilight franchise, Moffat and Gatiss appear – initially at least – to take us back to the horror of the original text.

But as the episode progresses the European setting becomes more than just spooky window dressing. One of the most famous arguments about the novel, first made by Stephen D. Arata, is that Dracula enacts “reverse colonisation” – Stoker’s vampire expresses the threat that imperialism might not be a one-way operation. From his home in eastern Europe, the count travels to Britain to buy up its real estate and add its women to his harem, bypassing the need for a passport or immigration documents and threatening British manhood in the process.

‘Brexit Gothic’

Seen in this light, Dracula offers a clear application to our times. In an article for The Guardian on “Brexit Gothic”, Neil McRobert points out:

"When Nigel Farage expresses concern about Romanian men moving in next door, it makes one wonder if he has read Dracula – the story of a Romanian man who literally moves in beside some stuffy British people."

Moffat and Gatiss are too canny to give us a straightforward metaphor for Brexit – and yet there are clear nods to contemporary anxieties in the first episode. Dracula quizzes Jonathan Harker on English language and culture out of a desire to “pass among your countrymen as one of their own”. He will be the good immigrant who assimilates, who blends invisibly with the host culture. There is a moment of discomfort, however, as he promises to “absorb” Harker – this immigrant is a parasite who feeds off its host.

There is no direct correlation with itinerant agricultural workers, however, as Dracula seeks to infiltrate the highest echelons of society. In a warped version of late 19th-century eugenics, we discover that Dracula’s choosiness about his victims is the secret to his vampiric success – consuming only the blood of the best enables him to retain his human qualities. Hence his appetite for the British Empire. “Vampires go where power is,” says Auerbach. “You are what you eat,” quips Claes Bang’s Dracula.

Dolly Wells as Sister Agatha with Joanna Scanlan as Mother Superior. (BBC/Hartswood Films/Netflix/Robert Viglasky)

Moreover, this is a tale of two Europeans. Sister Agatha, the Dutch nun who questions Harker after his escape from Dracula’s castle (a significantly expanded role from the book, played with exquisite exasperation by Dolly Wells), scoffs at Jonathan’s English masculinity when he fails to realise the incongruity of a secret message written to him in English in a Transylvanian castle: “Of course not! You are an English man! A combination of presumptions beyond compare.” British exceptionalism looks set to take a tumble as Dracula reaches England in the second instalment.

Dark humour

The episode displays the acute self-aware characteristic of vampire films, which are what Ken Gelder calls “citational”, constantly referring to previous examples of the genre. There are multiple moments when viewers anticipating romance have their expectations rudely shattered. Twilight in particular comes in for some sharp debunking, with Mina playing the role of Twilight’s heroine Bella, appealing to her lover’s higher moral fibre and coming in for a shock as she discovers that true love does not trump bloodlust after all. Instead of Twilight’s lingering shots of gleaming male torsos we get intimate body horror in excruciating close up – a fly crawling across an eyeball, a blackened nail flaking off a finger.

One of the most striking features of Moffat and Gatiss’s adaptation is its humour. Comedy has always been a crucial element of Gothic literature, which continually teeters between terror and laughter. “King Laugh,” a metaphorical figure invented by Professor Van Helsing in Bram Stoker’s novel to explain his own hysterics, is a version of death, leading the characters in a kind of danse macabre. The novel exhibits black humour in the character of the lunatic Renfield, in particular, who calculates how many lives he can consume, starting by eating flies and trading up the food chain.

As I argued in my recent book, Post-Millennial Gothic, a distinguishing characteristic of contemporary vampires is their increasing comic agency. The first self-conscious vampire joke is the iconic one-liner first spoken by Bela Lugosi in Tod Browning’s classic 1931 film: “I never drink … wine.” Moffat and Gatiss get this out of the way in the first few minutes – and even add a callback later in the episode.

There are more zingers to come as Bang quips his way across Europe like an infernal James Bond. When Harker spots him with a glass and queries that he never drinks, I almost expected him to clarify: “Shaken, not stirred.”

The comparison between Dracula and Bond is not a casual one. Bond props up a crumbling British Empire – Dracula aims to infiltrate it and use it to his own ends. They emerge from the same social and historical concerns, two sides of the same coin. Both reflect us back in multiple ways, and neither offers a flattering picture.

About Today's Contributor:

Catherine Spooner, Professor of Literature and Culture, Lancaster University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.