Category Archives: News

Science/Nature, Tech/Games

The viral Tiktok trend “Reality Shifting”- Fact or fiction?

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By Caroline Crosby

If you’ve been anywhere near TikTok, or other similar social media platforms, you may have been exposed to the strange concept of “reality shifting”. It was first popularized by avid fans of the Harry Potter franchize in early fall of this year, and spread like wildfire across the internet in the months following. 

Essentially, reality shifting (or just “shifting”) is loosely described as a shift in consciousness from one reality to the next. Now, this may sound like an improbable conspiracy theory promoted by a mob of fictional wizard obsessed teenagers, but there’s more to this trend than meets the eye. 

As a disclaimer, the science behind shifting is mostly theoretical and difficult to grasp; to attempt to understand the complex quantum mechanics of human consciousness is a daunting task indeed. 

First, we address the multiverse theory. 

For those who aren’t in the know, this theory proposes that the realm of space and time that we exist in right now, or our universe, isn’t a singular body of matter. It states that there simply isn’t one universe, but rather an infinite number of dimensions of existence.

Infinite realities means infinite possibilities – and this is where the process of shifting comes into play. The idea is that through a plethora of different mediums, that allows the user to manipulate their state of mind, you can transfer your consciousness from this reality to the next. 

In truth, the concept of reality shifting existed long before Harry Potter fans discovered it. A document from the CIA – “Analysis and Assessment of the Gateway Process” was written in 1983, but only recently approved for release in the summer of 2003. The report explains the science behind “Gateway training”, a process employed by the U.S. military that was used to improve the cognitive function and other aspects of it’s subjects. It’s author, Wayne M. McDonnell, explains that “Fundamentally, the Gateway Experience is a training system designed to bring enhanced strength, focus and coherence to the amplitude and frequency of brainwave output between the left and right hemispheres so as to alter consciousness, moving it outside the physical sphere so as to ultimately escape even the restrictions of time and space”.

This is a difficult concept to understand without appropriate background knowledge, and before we delve further, it’s important to establish that everything is made of energy and energy fields.

In the report, McDonnell states that “Science now knows that both the electrons which spin in the energy field located around the nucleus of the atom and the nucleus itself are made up of nothing more than oscillating energy grids. Solid matter, in the strict construction of the term, simply does not exist. Rather, atomic structure is composed of oscillating energy grids surrounded by other oscillating energy grids which orbit at extraordinarily high speeds… …The point to be made is that the entire human being, brain, consciousness and all is, like the universe which surrounds [it], nothing more or less than an extraordinarily complex system of energy fields.”

After acknowledging the complex concepts behind human consciousness, and it’s physics, reality shifting may seem like less (even if only slightly) of an enigmatic experience. 

The aforementioned Harry Potter fans, as well as other members of the “shifting community”,  have taken these conceptual ideas and turned them into structured processes, including “the Alice in Wonderland method”, “the Raven method”, the “I Am method”, and many more. 

The I Am method, like most others, has a very specific procedure. An anonymous acquaintance of mine, with adverse shifting experience, describes the step by step process of this method:

“Close your eyes and breathe in and out continuously until your mind is clear and there are no longer distractions. If you prefer, meditate before starting this method. Repeat the phrase ‘I am pure conscious not attached to any reality.’ After a while you might feel your body vibrate and get tingly, (if not that’s totally okay!). You might feel like your brain zoomed off, like it turned off or like it’s expanding. You might feel like you’re floating, like you’re in a void. When that happens repeat affirmations over and over until you feel lighter and lighter. Repeat the affirmations ‘I am in my ideal reality permanently’ over and over until you feel lighter and lighter. You could possibly see images from your desired reality, and when you hear, smell, or feel like you’re there just open your eyes!”

This method relies heavily on the use of affirmations and biofeedback. McDonnell explains this occurrence:

“Biofeedback teaches the left hemisphere first to visualize the desired result and then to recognize the feelings associated with the experience of successful right hemisphere access to the specific lower cerebral, cortex, pain or pleasure or other areas in the manner needed to produce the desired result.” 

This can be heavily utilized for other consciousness altering techniques as well, such as manifestation. It promotes the self-cognitive powers of the left hemisphere in gaining access to areas of the “right brain”, such as the lower cerebral, motor and sensory cortices and assorted pain or pleasure centers. Basically, by convincing their brain that it’s somewhere else, shifters can transfer their consciousness to an altered state or plane of existence. It’s a liminal experience that depends on the will of the individual, and according to “ShiftTok”, you’re in full control. 

It’s all highly relative, and when addressing the conceptuality of the universe itself, it’s important to remember that there’s no right or wrong answers. Scientifically, we may eventually find a concrete answer to what theorists now deem hypothetical, but what better way to find out than experiencing it yourself?

For more information, I recommend reading Wayne M. McDonnell’s analysis mentioned above: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00788R001700210016-5.pdf 

National

​The crazy weather In Texas

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​By: Charles Fragrassi

Around two weeks ago, the whole entire United States was hit with a pretty crazy snow storm, which sent a majority of Southern states into single digit temperatures. Texas, which as we know, is a historically warm state, was sent into shock during this snowstorm.

Texas is normally a warm state, so this means its houses and buildings don’t have as much insulation as the colder states do, and this led to floods, power outages and residents who could not rely on their home for a heat source. People have even slept in parking garages with their cars running all night just to be able to stay warm.

This storm did a lot more than some minor home inconveniences though. There have been about 35 cold weather related deaths in Texas alone from this storm.

Texas also had 400,000 COVID vaccines scheduled to be delivered, but those had to be halted until the weather was more permissible.

As for the amount of snow they actually got, it varied from half an inch all the way to 10 inches. That may not seem like a lot, because of the fact that we live in Minnesota, but for a state that rarely ever gets into below freezing temperatures, that can be a pretty big deal.

There were also over 100 car crashes, due to slippery roads, in San Antonio alone, along with frozen pipes and frozen water treatment plants leaving many Texans without clean water.

Luckily, this past week, things have started to take a turn for the better, because the temperatures are starting to warm up not only in Texas, but nationwide, so hopefully, for the sake of Texas, we have no more winter storms the rest of the year.

For more information, please visit:

  • “What’s Going On in Texas?” ​slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/02/texas-snow-cold-blackouts-why.html
  • “Deadly Winter Storm Strikes the U.S. What’s Going on?” ​www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2021/2/16/22285356/deadly-winter-storm-texas-northeast-forecast- what-happened
National

How the Joe Biden administration plans to handle the climate crisis

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By: Hayat Osman

Climate change is known as long-term change in weather patterns having a huge range of effects on the Earth’s surface temperature. Since the early 20th Century, changes in the Earth’s climate have been recorded by scientists and have been found to be dangerously increasing.

What researchers found was that certain human activities are leading to irregular temperatures.  NASA points out that fossil fuel burning, which increases the heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, is a main source.

As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, scientists urge our world leaders to take action against climate change. In 2015, under the Obama administration, the U.S. along with 190 other countries formally entered the Paris Agreement Treaty. The goal of the agreement would have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% by 2025.

Although Obama signed an executive order confirming the U.S. entering the Paris Agreement, he didn’t submit it for Congressional approval. Later, this allowed the Trump administration to have the U.S. retract the commitment to the treaty.

Now, the U.S. is under a new president: Joe Biden. He has promised to take action against climate change before the effects are irreversible to our planet.

According to President Biden’s website, Biden’s agenda on climate change is to ensure the U.S. achieves net-zero emissions no later than 2050, with the first targets at the end of Biden’s first term in 2025. The Biden administration will take action against fossil fuel companies and other polluters who profit over the harm of our environment and endanger our communities. Biden wants to ensure the safety of communities across the U.S. like Flint Michigan. The Biden climate and environmental justice proposal will make a federal investment of $1.7 trillion over the next decade. The goals of the proposal include clean energy and climate innovation research, as well as clean infrastructure and communities.

Biden also promises to recommit the U.S. to the Paris Agreement, and rally allies to meet the threat of climate change.

For more information, please visit:

Science/Nature

Traveling at the speed of light 

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By: Grace Helmke

It’s something out of a sci-fi novel. The thought of being able to travel at 670,616,629 miles per hour seems impossible. But is it really? Traversing the cosmos at the speed of light may not be as fictional as we once thought. 

Understanding Einstein’s general theory of relativity

Einstein’s theory of general relativity is essential to this idea of traveling at the speed of light. He stated that gravity was a geometric distortion of spacetime which could not be predicted by Newton’s laws. Einstein defined spacetime as the dimension which time and space shared. It was the formation of a four dimensional continuum which was made up of space and time. It would look something like a piece of fabric. Each planet, star, or mass would make dips in it. Or, they would bend spacetime. 

Relativity in space travel

Scientists have since been looking into light speed travel using various methods. In several projects, spanning all the way from 1950-1980, researchers discussed using nuclear fusion to propel a spacecraft, however they decided it might be best not to launch a nuclear warhead into space. 

However, researchers have begun to follow in the footsteps of science fiction in an attempt to achieve light speed travel. Warp drive was a concept introduced on Star Trek, a television show from the 1960s about a space crew completing missions in the 23rd century. Warp drive essentially distorted the fabric of spacetime, allowing the crew to travel superluminally, or faster than the speed of light.

Einstein’s theories suggest that this is not a totally unheard of thought. In fact, it’s entirely possible. In 1994, a scientist named Miguel Alcubierre discovered what today is known as the Alcubierre Drive. Essentially, his theory was that it’s possible to bend space time in a way that contracts in front of you, and expands behind you, moving you in a forward motion. 

This field of study is still largely unexplored. However, there have been some discoveries in recent years that have significantly contributed to its advancement. Scientists working at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) discovered naturally occurring gravitational waves. It confirmed Einstein’s predictions of relativity and proved that the basis for the warp drive exists in nature. 

There are some problems that come along with this form of travel. It requires negative energy. This is an issue because we have no physical evidence that negative energy is real. At this point in time, it only exists in the laws of physics, and in quantum theory, which states that it’s possible to borrow energy from a vacuum at another location. It’s like borrowing money from a bank.

Another issue is the sheer amount of energy needed. Scientists believe that the total energy required to travel via warp drive would be equivalent to the mass of Jupiter. That is simply not in our capacity at this point in time. The production of that amount of energy will only come from the furthering of science and technology; well into the future. It’s not impossible, it’s just not in line with our current abilities. 

Conclusion 

So, is it possible that humanity may one day travel at the speed of light? Most likely, yes. It is probable that we may one day travel at astonishing speeds. Although we do not currently have the capacity to create the amount of energy needed, scientists are working to change that. We will one day achieve a seemingly fictional feat. One that may change our society forever. 

For more information, please visit: 

COVID-19, Travel/Food

Holiday travels: 2020 vs. the past 

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By: McKenna Nutter

COVID-19 has had a large impact on many aspects of everyone’s life. As the holiday season has recently come to an end, many of us are able to look back on the differences between this year and the years past.

The difference, even in the media, was large. While most years we are encouraged to spend time and gather with our friends and family, this year was very different. We had been warned that it was risky to go see our families, and that we should make other arrangements, such as the highly suggested virtual gatherings.

Another major difference, this recent holiday season, was the restrictions and lack in travel. We all know that the airports are filled each year with millions of people flying out to see families, and the streets and highways are filled with cars packed for the road with people driving to see their loved ones. However, the year of 2020 has no doubt been different.

Each of the airlines and airports have had their own pandemic restrictions, and they all vary from one to another. In many states, there are mandates of their own. For example, in Maine, a visitor must self-quarantine for 14 days unless they have had a negative COVID test result within the last 72 hours. Every state has different regulations, and some have none at all but, no matter the state, over the holiday season, there has definitely been an increase in cases. 

Though there has been a major difference in holiday travel this year, the holidays have seemed to increase the travel. TSA data has shown that during a single week, right before the holidays, over 1 million people had been screened each day. This number may not sound too bad during a normal year, in fact it sounds pretty good, but in a year when we are encouraged to stay home and stay safe, this is a large number. 

As predicted, the surge in the number of cases, and the number of deaths, after the holidays was incredibly high. Of all the states in America, Arizona was definitely a hot spot, and Arizona is only one part of the 50 state nation. After the holiday fun was over, the U.S. was averaging more than 246,000 new cases per day! Not to mention the number of deaths was evened out between 3,000 and 4,000 per day. 

This surge in numbers was expected, and though the experts had continually encouraged us to stay home, the warnings may not have been completely ignored, but they went unfollowed by many. 

Hopefully, with the number of new vaccines going out, and the set-up of many vaccination sites, we will be able to pull this surge back into control.

COVID-19, Sports

​The effects COVID-19 has had on professional sports

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By: Charles Fragrassi

​COVID-19 has changed all of our lives forever; it changes our daily routines, grocery stores, and sporting events.

The NBA was one of the first major sports organizations to be affected by this; they responded by shutting down completely. After 4 months or so, they resumed play in a “bubble” in Walt Disney World. This was a great solution to COVID as they had zero COVID cases the rest of the season and were able to finished the season.

Major League Baseball was the next sport in season, and they too started their season three months late and had numerous precautions for COVID-19, such as there were to be zero fans in attendance, and teams were set to play against teams that were a certain amount of miles from each other to prevent traveling cross country.

MLB wasn’t as lucky as the NBA, and had people test positive from time to time. Some of the precautions were that they were not allowed to travel with the team and have access to the facilities. In order to get back to playing, they had to not have had a fever for 72 hours, and test negative twice. Although there were a few positive cases from time to time, MLB finished their season with hopes that next season will be back to normal.

As COVID cases grew more and more, there were questions about if the NFL would even have a season. The National Football League defied odds by having a season during the pandemic. Some of the precautions the NFL took were pretty much no handshakes or jersey swaps after the game, which in my opinion made no sense because they were just tackling each other for the past hour.

Players and coaches were also required to wear masks on the sideline and were strongly encouraged to social distance. They also made a requirement that only 62 players were allowed to travel at a time. Also, if any players tested positive, they were immediately placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and weren’t allowed back until it had been 10 days since symptoms first appeared, and they had to be 72 hours symptom free, with two negative tests.

Although there were a few games rescheduled due to COVID, the NFL did a pretty good job and finished the season pretty flawlessly.

For more information, please visit:

COVID-19

What is herd immunity?

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By: Hayat Osman

Herd immunity is when enough people in a population are immune to a disease that it slows down the spread of the illness.

When a disease such as COVID-19 begins to spread scientists start by looking at the reproduction number, this represents how many people in a susceptible population could catch the virus from a single infected person.

For example, with the measles, one infected person on average would pass the virus to 12-18 other people. With COVID-19, an infected person would likely infect 2-4 other people, furthering the spread of the disease.

When people in a population start becoming immune to a disease, the chances of infecting others goes down making it harder for the virus to spread. The result is the community being protected against diseases as well as those with weak immune systems.

Scientists say herd immunity could be reached two ways: through broad infection or vaccination. To get herd immunity through broad infection the majority of a population would need to get sick from the virus and develop natural defenses such as antibodies to fight the disease.

But this method would be deadly because less than 5% of people worldwide have had COVID-19 and to reach immunity that number would need to be between 60-70%.

Experts say the most efficient way to herd immunity is through vaccination.

Vaccines help produce antibodies which help the immune system recognize diseases, controlling it from further spread. The benefits of reaching herd immunity through vaccination is only having the needed amount of people vaccinated, while broad infection may affect 100% of the population and generations after.

With COVID-19 the number of vaccinations that would be necessary to reach immunity is between 60-70%.

For more information, please visit:

Science/Nature

The future of commercial space travel 

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By: Grace Helmke

In May of 2020, SpaceX launched two Americans aboard Falcon 9, the first manned rocket to journey to the International Space Station (ISS) in over nine years. The flight took place aboard a commercial vehicle, representing the beginning of a movement towards accessible space travel. 

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), is working with several private companies to expand their production and create space crafts capable of carrying the average human into orbit.

SpaceX was the first to produce reusable rockets. They did this by establishing a model, which has now been running regular missions to the ISS since 2012.

The several companies manufacturing these shuttles maintain ownership of the vehicles they produce. NASA then provides their launch facilities, and sends the astronauts into space. By creating business with these companies and starting their Commercial Crew Program, NASA predicts that the economics of spaceflight will change, increasing competition between nations and driving down the cost of intergalactic travel. 

Other nations around the world are also becoming increasingly invested in the idea of a commercialized space flight future. Russia currently has in orbit a reusable vessel which has made several trips from earth to space on resupply missions to the ISS. China is in the earlier stages of the production of a space station capable of housing multitudes of astronauts for an extended period of time. Several test vehicles have been launched, but all have incinerated after multiple years in space. 

The fact that private companies in the United States, and around the world, are beginning their work in becoming commercial space companies means that spaceflight is no longer exclusive to government-funded projects. It is now becoming increasingly accessible. 

It is also foreseeable that as a result of these reduced prices and increased accessibility, that a hospitality industry might emerge in space and on other planets. Meaning, hotels and inflatable habitats will likely be created.

Bigelow Aerospace, a company in Nevada that specializes in space technology, has actually begun to produce these alternative housing solutions. The idea of this module, named B330, is that it is completely collapsible. It will arrive at the destination shriveled and compacked, and will inflate to accommodate visitors upon arrival. This balloon like home, surprisingly enough, would last a person’s lifetime.

With the continued advancement in technology, and newfound partnership between the government and private companies, a society where space travel is routine may not be so far away. 

For more information, please visit:

Editorials/Student Voice, National

What Trump will do after he leaves the White House

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By: Heidy Ramirez

Mr. Trump is really mad at aides and is isolating himself from everyone because they failed to make him president again as he wished.

It’s really sad how he asked to get the votes recounted from some counties, and Joe Biden still became president of the United States in 2021.

Back to Mr. Trump, he believed that no one was helping him, but the White House always tried their best. He just couldn’t accept that he lost on trying to become the president again.

Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes and Trump had 232, and Trump will never forget that. He became president because of the power. as he didn’t know what he was going to do, and that’s why Biden had to take over as president. 

A lot of people think that Mr. Trump is rotten to the core because of all the things he did as president. He should have shown that the President of the United States is a great leader of the people, not someone who cages kids, and rips them from the families that they love so much.

Also, what he is doing now is unpredictable, but everyone knew how it was going to end, him throwing a fit because he didn’t get his way at the end. Since the jump, Trump wasn’t honest because he said he was going to do things differently if he got elected, but he did not, so he lied to everyone that voted for him. He didn’t see a president’s job as any different from another job. He just wanted the power.

For more information, please visit:

National

The deadly Capital riot and what this means for Trump

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By: Grace Blumer-Lamotte

On January 6th, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington. They were trying to overturn the 2020 election.

The 2020 election had results of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris winning for the term. It was a deadly riot because 5 died and dozens were injured: 4 rioters and 1 police officer.

Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died from getting hit in the head with a fire extinguisher thrown from a rioter.

The 4 rioters who died were Ashli Babbitt, Kevin Greeson, Rosanne Boyland, and Benjamin Phillips. Babbitt was an Air Force Veteran, and she died from being shot by a Capitol Police Officer. Greeson suffered from a heart attack and fell to the sidewalk. Boyland died from being crushed by fellow rioters. Phillips suffered a stroke and died.

You may be wondering if people are going to get charged. According to Durkin Richer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., which handles both local and federal cases in the district, had filed 17 cases in federal court and at least 40 others in the Superior Court by Saturday. The cases in Superior Court mainly have to do with things like curfew violations and gun crimes.

Did Donald Trump do anything to persuade the rioters? Trump encouraged the supporters to storm the Capitol and “fight” for what they demand, but according to Durkin Richer, the Federal Office cannot legally confirm that he “Illegally incited violence because he didn’t specifically call for people to storm the Capitol”. 

The U.S. House impeached Donald Trump for the second time for “Inciting Deadly Capitol Riot”. Trump was the first president to be impeached twice in 245 years. The night of the impeachment, Nancy Pelosi said that Trump was a threat to “Liberty, self-government and the rule of law”.