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Yes, We've Seen the Surface of Venus

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Venera was a series of satellites launched by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s to study Venus’ environment. It was also the program aimed at returning the first images of the surface of another planet. Over the course of the program, thirteen probes successfully reached Venus and transmitted data about out planetary neighbour, eight landed successfully on the surface, and four returned pretty outstanding images. Venera 7, the first orbiter spacecraft with a lander in tow, launched on August 17, 1970. After a four month transit to Venus, the landing probe separated the orbiter on December 15 and plunged into Venus' thick atmosphere. After a period of aerodynamic braking, the upper hatch and heat shield released, exposing the spacecraft the elements and releasing the parachute that slowed the lander. The chute was released six minutes later; Venus’ dense atmosphere was enough to slow the lander for the final 29 minutes of its descent. It landed successfully, Data wa...
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FYI: Why Do I Poop More When I Have My Period?

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The answer is prostaglandins. These are the chemical signals girls' and women's bodies make and send to the uterus to tell it to contract, thus expelling the uterine lining at the end of the menstrual cycle. Prostaglandins aren't super picky about whom they talk to, however. If the body sends enough of them to the uterus, some stray prostaglandins will make it over to the bowel, which is located nearby. There, they also tell the bowel to contract, thus expelling… you know. Not all women experience more frequent bowel movements when they have their periods. Some girls feel the effects of prostaglandin on their bowels as nausea. Others actually get diarrhea. Still others are not so bothered at all. Some women's bodies are just overzealous in their prostaglandin production. Incidentally, those who get painful cramps can blame high levels of prostaglandins. Some women's bodies are just overzealous in their prostaglandin production. This makes the uterus...
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FYI: What Causes Muscle Twitches?

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Involuntary muscle twitches are exceedingly common and yet not very well understood. "Nearly everyone experiences it," Dr. Daniel Drachman, professor of neurology and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, told me. "It occurs spontaneously in well over 90 percent of people at one time or another." Right now, as I write this sentence, it's happening to me. My left eyelid is twitching uncontrollably. It is very annoying. The most common type of muscle twitches are "fasciculations." Fasciculations can occur in any muscle in the body, but, says Drachman, they tend to occur most noticeably in the limbs and the eyelids. Why Is My Eyelid Twitching? Fasciculations are the result of some kind of irritability of the nerve fibers. Because fasciculations are benign, they haven't been studied particularly deeply. (But, not all involuntary muscle twitches are fasciculations--more on that later.) So we don't really know even where in the ner...
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How to set up a DIY home security system

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You don't have to invest in a multimillion dollar surveillance system to keep an eye on your property and possessions. In fact, you might be able to do the job with gadgets you already own, paired with free software. We've collected three types of systems you can pick from: free software on an old device, off-the-shelf cameras, or a DIY setup. Here's how to assemble each option as quickly and easily as possible. Repurpose your phones, tablets, and webcams If you've got an old phone or tablet lying around, then you can turn it into a home security camera. Choose this option if you have just one or two rooms to keep an eye on. This setup will miss out on a few of the more advanced tricks offered by dedicated security devices (more on those below), but it will also save you some cash. To turn your device into a security camera, first choose a location for it. If you're using a phone or tablet, you might need to set up a custom mount for it to ensure th...
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Why pay for Office and Photoshop when you can get these alternatives for free?

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We rely on expensive computer programs to edit photos and video, deal with office work, and protect our computers from malware. But they're not our only options. Often, commercial studios will offer the most basic versions of their products free of charge. In other cases, volunteers who believe that software should be free will develop open-source alternatives. Between them, you can find free programs to cover just about any computing task. However, not all free apps are created equal. We've narrowed down the plethora of options to highlight 10 of the finest free alternatives to pricey computer programs. 1. Office suite: LibreOffice If you need a comprehensive office suite that can do just about everything Microsoft Office can, then LibreOffice is one of the best options out there. Although it lacks the visual polish of the more expensive product, it can perform the same functions, and it works seamlessly with files created in Office and other formats. Available for ...
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