Image by Andrea Kirkby, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.
Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:
1. Possibly the biggest news of the week originated 40 light years away: NASA announced the discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting closely around an ultra-cool star that has been named TRAPPIST-1 (the clever domain name trappist.one was created specifically for this star system). Although the discovery of TRAPPIST-1 was announced last year, at that time only three planets had been located. Three of the seven planets are found within the star's habitable zone, which means that there could be oceans on those planets' surfaces. However, the scientists do not have concrete evidence of that at this time. Thus, the search for life outside our own solar system continues...
2. I found this history of bar stools to be an interesting read. I've never thought too much about it, aside from being annoyed when attempting to order a drink at the bar and finding myself surrounded by other people, sitting on the stools and taking up the space I need to place my order. I never considered the possibility of a stool-less bar, but as someone who almost never opts to sit directly in front of the bar on one, the idea is definitely appealing.
3. If you've ever wondered what a "brain scan" of an AI brain would look like, wonder no further! The images that the artificial intelligence are truly stunning in their similarity to the way flesh brains look, and slightly psychedelic as well.
That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.