I AM ABSOLUTELY LOSING MY MIND AFTER READING THIS PLEASE READ IT

Awesome Destiel Bloopers

How Big is the Leviathan?

Anyone remember the Leviathan from Atlantis the Lost Empire? 

If ya don’t remember here’s the scene.

One thing I remember was the SIZE of the Leviathan. It was the biggest thing I’d seen on screen at the time. But I always wondered HOW big was it? I assumed it was like Kaiju sized. Most Kaiju are around 300 feet.

Yea the submarine in Atlantis is as big  as Godzila. That…kinda surprised me.

So…IF the Ship is around 380 feet how big is the Leviathan?

So…my calculations are probably off, but I just wanted to get a better sense of size of the Leviathan. And uh….It’s over 3,050 feet!

THAT THING IS MASSIVE!!

IF I’m wrong! Please Correct me! Cause I can’t imagine this is right!

Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc | Canadian GP 2019 post-qualifying press conference

Okay so i started playing the Sherlock Mobile Game and this is my Avatar. I regret nothing.

Here’s a recommendation for fans of welcome to night vale:

The Kirlian Frequency.

It’s a Spanish (edit: language) animated series about a radio host in a mysterious supernatural town. Each story is pretty much separate and you can find the whole thing on Netflix.

Trans Peter Parker part one first draft:

In which, Peter comes out to Rhodey at the park

“Good luck Pete!” Ned waved goodbye to his friend as students filed out of school.

“Thanks Ned, I’ll need it.” Peter chuckled nervously, waving back at his friend. He put on his headphones and began descending the stairs that led to the parking lot. He scanned the area, looking for the usual black car to pick him up. When he found it, he spotted Rhodey leaning on the hood, lazily scrolling through his phone. Peter picked up his face as he crossed the parking lot to get to the car. “Hey Rhodes, Tony couldn’t make it today?”

“Oh hey kid. And I told you, you can call me Uncle Rhodey. But yeah, Tony had some business to take care of. He wanted me to tell you he’s sorry, and that he’s looking forward to seeing you at dinner.” He slipped his phone into his pocket and opened the passenger door.

“Oh okay, Uncle Rhodey, can we go to the park and get some frozen yogurt today? There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about..”  Peter said quietly, eyes fixed on the ground.

“Yeah sure kid, sounds good to me.” Rhodey frowned, concerned by the look on Peters face. He shut the door as Peter go into the car, as he walked around to the drivers side he couldn’t help but think of all the worst possible thing Peter could want to talk about.

Peter gazed out the window as they drove, trying to remain calm. He pulled out his Rubik’s cube and mindlessly fidgeted, sweat beads forming on his forehead.

Rhodey glanced over at him, his worry only deepening. He could tell how distressed Peter was, he just didn’t know what it was and it was starting to really scare him. He decided it was best to wait till Peter was ready to talk about, he didn’t want to press and make the situation worse.

The two walked over to their usual park bench, fro-yo in hand. As they sat down, Peter cleared his throat. “So um…there’s something I wanted to tell you..” Peter picked at his frozen yogurt with his spoon, his appetite gone, which was unusual, especially for him.

“Alright kid, whats up?” Rhodey asked, turning to face him. “Is..Is everything okay?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah! I’m fine, I didn’t mean to worry you I’m sorry.” Peter chuckled nervously, avoiding his gaze.

“It’s fine dude, just tell me what’s going on.” Rhodes set his yogurt next to him on the bench, giving Peter his full attention.

“S-So um…I d-don’t really feel like a girl…and I’m pretty sure I’m a b-boy..like I’m transgender? And I’d like it if you called me P-Peter instead of my birth name and called me male pronouns if that’s o-okay.”  Peter wrung his hands as he spoke.

Rhodey’s face softened as he let out a sigh of relief. “Holy shit kid, you really had me worried there. That’s all? It doesn’t matter to me what you identify as Peter, as long you’re happy and safe. Does Tony know? I’m guessing no.”

Peter shook his head, his breath becoming steady. “N-no he doesn’t, I was hoping to tell him today though. Could you help me? I’m planning on telling him at dinner but I’m really nervous about it.” He finally looked at Rhodey, his nerves calming down.

“Of course kid, Tony is super chill, don’t worry. It’ll be okay, I promise.” he smiled softly and put his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “So how was school today Pete?”

Peter grinned, happy to hear his chosen name. “It was pretty good, I got an A on my math test!” he said, digging in to his yogurt.

“Nice! I’m so proud of you, son.” Rhodey said, messing up Peter’s hair. “And Tony will be even prouder I bet.”

Kida is one of my favorite Disney characters so I figured I’d paint her for practice

Two are Better Than One: The NASA Twins Study

What exactly happens to the human body during spaceflight? The Twins Study,  a 340-day investigation conducted by NASA’s Human Research Program , sought to find answers. Scientists had an opportunity to see how conditions on the International Space Station translated to changes in gene expression by comparing identical twin astronauts: Scott Kelly who spent close to a year in space and Mark Kelly who remained on Earth.

The Process

From high above the skies, for almost a year, astronaut Scott Kelly periodically collected his own blood specimens for researchers on the ground during his One-Year Mission aboard the Space Station. These biological specimens made their way down to Earth onboard two separate SpaceX Dragon vehicles. A little bit of Scott returned to Earth each time and was studied by scientists across the United States.

Totaling 183 samples from Scott and his brother, Mark, these vials helped scientists understand the changes Scott’s body underwent while spending a prolonged stay in low Earth orbit.  

The Twins

Because identical twins share the same genetic makeup, they are very similar on a molecular level. Twin studies provide a way for scientists to explore how our health is impacted by the environment around us.

What We Learned: Gene Expression

A significant finding is the variability in gene expression, which reflects how a body reacts to its environment and will help inform how gene expression is related to health risks associated with spaceflight. While in space, researchers observed changes in the expression of Scott’s genes, with the majority returning to normal after six months on Earth. However, a small percentage of genes related to the immune system and DNA repair did not return to baseline after his return to Earth. Further, the results identified key genes to target for use in monitoring the health of future astronauts and potentially developing personalized countermeasures.

What We Learned: Immunome

Another key finding is that Scott’s immune system responded appropriately in space. For example, the flu vaccine administered in space worked exactly as it does on Earth. A fully functioning immune system during long-duration space missions is critical to protecting astronaut health from opportunistic microbes in the spacecraft environment.

What We Learned: Proteomics

Studying protein pathways in Scott enabled researchers to look at fluid regulation and fluid shifts within his body. Shifts in fluid may contribute to vision problems in astronauts. Scientists found a specific protein associated with fluid regulation was elevated in Scott, compared with his brother Mark on Earth.

What We Learned: Telomeres

The telomeres in Scott’s white blood cells, which are biomarkers of aging at the end of chromosomes, were unexpectedly longer in space then shorter after his return to Earth with average telomere length returning to normal six months later. In contrast, his brother’s telomeres remained stable throughout the entire period. Because telomeres are important for cellular genomic stability, additional studies on telomere dynamics are planned for future one-year missions to see whether results are repeatable for long-duration missions.

What We Learned: Cognition

Scott Kelly participated in a series of cognitive performance evaluations (such as mental alertness, spatial orientation, and recognition of emotions) administered through a battery of tests and surveys. Researchers found that during spaceflight, Scott’s cognitive function remained normal for the first half of his stay onboard the space station compared to the second half of his spaceflight and to his brother, Mark, on the ground. However, upon landing, Scott’s speed and accuracy decreased. Re-exposure to Earth’s gravity and the dynamic experience of landing may have affected the results.  

What We Learned: Biochemical

In studying various measurements on Scott, researchers found that his body mass decreased during flight, likely due to controlled nutrition and extensive exercise. While on his mission, Scott consumed about 30% less calories than researchers anticipated. An increase in his folate serum (vitamin B-9), likely due to an increase of the vitamin in his pre-packaged meals, was also noted by researchers. This is bolstered by the telomeres study, which suggests that proper nutrition and exercise help astronauts maintain health while in space.

What We Learned: Metabolomics

Within five months of being aboard the space station, researchers found an increase in the thickness of Scott’s arterial wall, which may have been caused by inflammation and oxidative stress during spaceflight. Whether this change is reversible is yet to be determined. They hope these results will help them understand the stresses that the human cardiovascular system undergoes during spaceflight. 

In addition, the results from the Microbiome, Epigenomics, and Integrative Omics studies suggest a human body is capable of adapting to and recovering from the spaceflight environment on a molecular level.

Why Does This Matter?

The data from the Twins Study Investigation will be explored for years to come as researchers report some interesting, surprising, and assuring data on how the human body is able to adapt to the extreme environment of spaceflight. This study gave us the first integrated molecular view into genetic changes, and demonstrated the plasticity and robustness of a human body!

We will use the valuable data to ensure the safety and health of the men and women who go on to missions to the Moon and on to Mars.

Learn more with this video about these fascinating discoveries!  

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

I’M DONE