Month / August 2015

by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights

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Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights

@MarkGKirshner

Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights

@MarkGKirshner

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How to get more Twitter followers free fast: @greensboro_nc

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Dark Matter May Be More Complex Than Physicists Thought | WIRED

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markgeoffreykirshner.com – The physicist James Bullock explains how a complicated “dark sector” of interacting particles may illuminate some puzzling observations of the centers of galaxies. Source: Dark Matter May Be More C…

A Feminist Islam is biased Islam – but what’s a Patriarchal Islam?

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orbala.wordpress.com – While many Muslims prefer to deny this, Islam is *not* a simple religion (no religion is a simple religion), and there’s no such thing as just one Islam–okay, fine, one understanding of Islam–that …

Hermitage Museum vulnerable to vandalism as police end protection

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uatoday.tv – ‘Our society does not understand the meaning of culture’ – Hermitage Director A decision by the Russian authorities to stop police protection of the national museums raised concern among the art lo…

Ukrainian guardsman killed in protests against vote on rebel autonomy

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theguardian.com – A Ukrainian national guardsman has died and many more have been injured in clashes with nationalist protesters outside parliament in Kiev, the interior minister said. A Reuters TV cameraman at the …

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In Myanmar, Rohingya candidates barred from election – ucanews.com

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ucanews.com – Fifteen Rohingya candidates have been barred from running in Myanmar’s upcoming elections, adding to fears it is part of the mass disenfranchisement of a long-embattled ethnic minority group ahead …

France – French journalists ‘tried to blackmail’ king of Morocco

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france24.com – According to lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti, representing the North African kingdom, journalists Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet were involved in a “thug’s racket”. They were arrested after meeting …

Saudi suspect in 1996 anti-US bombing arrested in Beirut

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Kurds in Canada trying to raise pressure on Turkey through Canadian government

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Women’s Participation in Peace Processes: Colombia & Globally

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Israeli Drilling Endangers Bethlehem Area Village – International Middle East Media Center

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Caste Quotas in India Come Under Attack

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nytimes.com – AHMEDABAD, India — The resentment built slowly in Hardik Patel. It took root when he watched his younger sister lose out on a college scholarship because of India’s version of affirmative action, a…

Asylum-seekers, Refugees, Migrants – What’s in a Name?

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asafeworldforwomen.org – By Peter Hilton, Global Correspondent for Safeworld The ‘jungle’ camp outside Calais has been growing ever denser and increasingly is looking more likely to become a permanent fixture on the Anglo-…

Engaging Local Chiefs – Key to Women’s Empowerment & Respect

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Advocating for Women’s Access to Land Rights in Peru

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Malaysia’s 34-Hour Bersih Rally Against Government Corruption Gathers 100,000 People · Global Voices

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Soheil Arabi’s Case Sent Back to the Court of Appeal

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This Is How China and Russia Plan to Crush America’s Stealth Aircraft

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nationalinterest.org – Both China and Russia appear to be building unmanned aerial vehicles designed to negate America’s advantages in stealth aircraft. Earlier this year, photos first emerged of a new High Altitude, Lon…

Oliver Sacks on Learning He Has Terminal Cancer

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One in 7 people on the entire planet logged onto Facebook Monday

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washingtonpost.com – (Tony Avelar / Bloomberg) A million users in a day isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion. That’s right: Facebook just hit a huge milestone, announcing that earlier this week a billion people …

Does Facebook’s Donate Button Hurt the Nonprofit Sector More Than It Helps?

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Book signing guidance from an expert! (Part I)

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blog.iuniverse.com – iUniverse’s Douglas Gardham, author of The Actor and The Drive In, has significantly bolstered his marketing presence through engaging in book signings, and recently reached the milestone of sellin…

For art to survive in Iran, trendy urbanites have to like it

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Indian Oil Said to Plan $3 Billion Petchem Plant in Iran

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bloomberg.com – Indian Oil Corp. is seeking to build a $3 billion petrochemicals plant in Iran, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The plan hinges on assurances from Iran that the 1 million-t…

Iran, South Africa to invest in GTL

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A List of 15 Political Prisoners in Sanandaj Prison

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hra-news.org – HRANA News Agency – The following list is the information regarding the names, times of arrest, charge(s) and other information of some of the political prisoners in Sanandaj prison. Need to be men…

Iran Sentences Two Charged With Spying to 10 Years in Prison

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Iranian Daughter Remembers Kidnapped Father – Iran Press Watch

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Is Telegram’s Compliance with Iran Compromising the Digital Security of Its Users?

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How to get more Twitter followers free fast: @greensboro_nc

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twiterhero.blogspot.com – Finding followers free fast with nothing to buy using the Twitter.com follow button, not some fake twitter followers adder bot. No twitter followers for sale here, connect with real accounts that a…

Dark Matter May Be More Complex Than Physicists Thought | WIRED

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markgeoffreykirshner.com – The physicist James Bullock explains how a complicated “dark sector” of interacting particles may illuminate some puzzling observations of the centers of galaxies. Source: Dark Matter May Be More C…

A Feminist Islam is biased Islam – but what’s a Patriarchal Islam?

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orbala.wordpress.com – While many Muslims prefer to deny this, Islam is *not* a simple religion (no religion is a simple religion), and there’s no such thing as just one Islam–okay, fine, one understanding of Islam–that …

Hermitage Museum vulnerable to vandalism as police end protection

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uatoday.tv – ‘Our society does not understand the meaning of culture’ – Hermitage Director A decision by the Russian authorities to stop police protection of the national museums raised concern among the art lo…

Ukrainian guardsman killed in protests against vote on rebel autonomy

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theguardian.com – A Ukrainian national guardsman has died and many more have been injured in clashes with nationalist protesters outside parliament in Kiev, the interior minister said. A Reuters TV cameraman at the …

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Mark G Kirshner

MarkGeoffreyKirshner @MarkGKirshner #Art #Music #Law #vaw #UN #HeForShe #Interfaith #Iran #Egypt #Spirituality. http://pinterest.com/markgkirshner . https://markgeoffreykirshner.wordpress.com . http://instagram.com/markgkirshner/ . NY

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In Myanmar, Rohingya candidates barred from election – ucanews.com

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ucanews.com – Fifteen Rohingya candidates have been barred from running in Myanmar’s upcoming elections, adding to fears it is part of the mass disenfranchisement of a long-embattled ethnic minority group ahead …

France – French journalists ‘tried to blackmail’ king of Morocco

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france24.com – According to lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti, representing the North African kingdom, journalists Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet were involved in a “thug’s racket”. They were arrested after meeting …

Saudi suspect in 1996 anti-US bombing arrested in Beirut

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Kurds in Canada trying to raise pressure on Turkey through Canadian government

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Women’s Participation in Peace Processes: Colombia & Globally

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Israeli Drilling Endangers Bethlehem Area Village – International Middle East Media Center

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Caste Quotas in India Come Under Attack

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nytimes.com – AHMEDABAD, India — The resentment built slowly in Hardik Patel. It took root when he watched his younger sister lose out on a college scholarship because of India’s version of affirmative action, a…

Asylum-seekers, Refugees, Migrants – What’s in a Name?

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Areli Rojas Rivera

asafeworldforwomen.org – By Peter Hilton, Global Correspondent for Safeworld The ‘jungle’ camp outside Calais has been growing ever denser and increasingly is looking more likely to become a permanent fixture on the Anglo-…

Engaging Local Chiefs – Key to Women’s Empowerment & Respect

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Advocating for Women’s Access to Land Rights in Peru

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Malaysia’s 34-Hour Bersih Rally Against Government Corruption Gathers 100,000 People · Global Voices

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Soheil Arabi’s Case Sent Back to the Court of Appeal

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This Is How China and Russia Plan to Crush America’s Stealth Aircraft

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Ελένη

nationalinterest.org – Both China and Russia appear to be building unmanned aerial vehicles designed to negate America’s advantages in stealth aircraft. Earlier this year, photos first emerged of a new High Altitude, Lon…

Oliver Sacks on Learning He Has Terminal Cancer

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LRB · Oliver Sacks · The man who mistook his wife for a hat

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TECHNOLOGY

One in 7 people on the entire planet logged onto Facebook Monday

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.5 Pint/ Michele

washingtonpost.com – (Tony Avelar / Bloomberg) A million users in a day isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion. That’s right: Facebook just hit a huge milestone, announcing that earlier this week a billion people …

Does Facebook’s Donate Button Hurt the Nonprofit Sector More Than It Helps?

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Here’s How Iran Resets Your Gmail Password

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AmisIran

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LEISURE

Book signing guidance from an expert! (Part I)

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MarkGeoffreyKirshner

blog.iuniverse.com – iUniverse’s Douglas Gardham, author of The Actor and The Drive In, has significantly bolstered his marketing presence through engaging in book signings, and recently reached the milestone of sellin…

For art to survive in Iran, trendy urbanites have to like it

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AmisIran

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BUSINESS

Indian Oil Said to Plan $3 Billion Petchem Plant in Iran

Shared by
AmisIran

bloomberg.com – Indian Oil Corp. is seeking to build a $3 billion petrochemicals plant in Iran, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The plan hinges on assurances from Iran that the 1 million-t…

Iran, South Africa to invest in GTL

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AmisIran

All Business →

#IRAN

A List of 15 Political Prisoners in Sanandaj Prison

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AmisIran

hra-news.org – HRANA News Agency – The following list is the information regarding the names, times of arrest, charge(s) and other information of some of the political prisoners in Sanandaj prison. Need to be men…

Iran Sentences Two Charged With Spying to 10 Years in Prison

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Iranian Daughter Remembers Kidnapped Father – Iran Press Watch

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Is Telegram’s Compliance with Iran Compromising the Digital Security of Its Users?

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by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Dark Matter May Be More Complex Than Physicists Thought | WIRED

The physicist James Bullock explains how a complicated “dark sector” of interacting particles may illuminate some puzzling observations of the centers of galaxies.

Source: Dark Matter May Be More Complex Than Physicists Thought | WIRED

DARK MATTER—THE UNSEEN 80 percent of the universe’s mass—doesn’t emit, absorb or reflect light. Astronomers know it exists only because it interacts with our slice of the ordinary universe through gravity. Hence the hunt for this missing mass has focused on so-called WIMPs—Weakly Interacting Massive Particles—which interact with each other as infrequently as they interact with normal matter.

QUANTA MAGAZINE

ABOUT

Original story reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences

Physicists have reasons to look for alternatives to WIMPs. For two decades, astronomers have found less dark matter at the centers of galaxies than what WIMP models suggest they should. The discrepancy is even worse at the cores of the universe’s tiny dwarf galaxies, which have few ordinary stars but lots of dark matter.

About four years ago, James Bullock, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, began to wonder whether the standard view of dark matter was failing important empirical tests. “This was the point where I really started thinking hard about alternatives,” he said.

Bullock thinks that dark matter might instead be complex, something that interacts with itself strongly in the way that ordinary matter interacts with itself to form intricate structures like atoms and atomic elements. Such a self-interacting dark matter, Bullock suspects, could exist in a “dark sector,” somewhat parallel to our own light sector, but detectable only through the way it affects gravity.

He and his colleagues have created numerical simulations that predict what the universe would look like if dark matter feels strong interactions. They expected to see the model fail. Instead, they found that it was consistent with what astronomers observe.

Quanta Magazine spoke with Bullock about complex dark matter, how this mysterious mass might behave, and the best places in the universe to find it. An edited and condensed version of the interview follows.

QUANTA MAGAZINE: What do we know about dark matter?

JAMES BULLOCK: We are confident that it’s there, that it has mass, and that it tugs on itself and on other things via gravity. That’s about it. While dark matter has a gravitational tug, it doesn’t interact with normal matter—the stuff that makes up you and me—in a very intense way. It doesn’t shine. It’s invisible. It’s transparent. It doesn’t glow when it gets hot. Unfortunately, those are the ways astronomers usually study the universe; we usually follow the light.

So we don’t know what it’s made of?

We’ve come to understand that we can describe the world that we experience by the Standard Model of particle physics. We think of the particles that make up you and me as being broken down into constituent things, like quarks, and those quarks combine into neutrons and protons. There is a complicated dance that allows these particles to interact in certain ways. It gives rise to the periodic table of elements and all of the vast complexity we see around us. Just 20 percent of the mass of the universe is all of this complexity.

On the other hand, dark matter makes up something like 80 percent of the mass. First-guess models for what it is suggests that it is one particle that doesn’t really interact with much of anything—WIMPs. These are collisionless, meaning when two dark matter particles come at each other they basically go through each other.

Another possibility is this 80 percent of the universe is also complex. Maybe there’s something interesting going on in what’s called the dark sector. We know that whatever ties us to the dark matter is pretty weak or else we would have already seen it. This observation has led to the belief that all the interactions that could be going on with dark matter are weak. But there’s another possibility: When dark matter particles see themselves, there are complex and potentially very strong interactions. There even could be dark atoms and dark photons.

Those two worlds—this dark sector and our own sector—only communicate by gravity and perhaps other weak processes, which haven’t yet been seen.

How can you probe this dark sector if you can’t interact with it?

Now what we’re talking about doing is not just looking at the gross properties of the dark matter but the very makeup of the dark matter, too. The most obvious place to see those effects is where dark matter is bunched up. We believe the centers of galaxies and galaxy clusters are densest. And so by studying the behavior of dark matter by indirect methods—basically by the dynamics of stars and gas and galaxies in galaxy clusters—we can start to understand how dark matter is distributed in space. To start to discriminate between models, we can compare differences in dark matter’s spatial clumpiness in simulations, for example, and then look for those differences in data.

What does the data say?

In models using cold, collisionless dark matter—WIMPs—the dark matter is very dense at the middle of galaxies. It appears that those predicted densities are much higher than what’s observed.

What might be going on is that something a little more complex is happening in the dark sector, and that complexity is causing these slight disagreements between theory and observation at places where the dark matter is really clumped or starts congregating, like in the centers of galaxies or the centers of galaxy clusters.

I’m interested in running cosmological simulations of how the universe should evolve from the very beginning until now. I look at what happens, when I run those simulations forward, if I allow cold dark matter to occasionally collide and exchange energy. The simulations start with a small, almost-smooth primordial universe and end with beautiful agreement with large-scale structure—galaxies stretched out across the universe in the way we observe them. But the hearts of galaxies are less dense in dark matter in my simulations than they are in simulations where the dark matter is cold and collisionless.

How long have researchers known about these disagreements between the models and the data?

We’ve known that there’s a bit of a problem at the centers of galaxies for about 20 years. At first it was thought maybe we’re interpreting the data wrong. And now the question comes down to: Does galaxy formation eject dark matter somehow, or do we need to modify our understanding of dark matter?

Why did you start looking into self-interacting dark matter?

The first paper exploring ideas that the dark matter might be more complex was in Physical Review Letters, April 2000, by David Spergel and Paul Steinhardt. I actually started working on this several years later when I began seeing papers from the particle physics community exploring these ideas. My initial reaction was, that couldn’t be true, because I had this prejudice that things work so well with collisionless dark matter.

In the first set of simulations we ran, we gave dark matter a cross-section with itself. The bigger the cross-section is, the higher the probability that these particles are going to run into one another in any given amount of time. We set the value of the cross-section to something we were convinced would be ruled out [by the data], but when we ran our simulation we found that we couldn’t see any difference between that model and the classic one. And so we thought maybe we don’t know quite as much as we thought we knew.

Then, we dialed it up and looked at a strong interaction similar to if you threw two neutrons together. We saw something that looks really close to observations on large scales but does produce differences in the hearts of galaxies. Rather than the dark matter getting denser and denser as you approach the center of the galaxy, it reached a threshold density.

Could it be that these little discrepancies we’ve been seeing in the observational data are actually a clue that there’s something interesting and fun going on in the dark sector that we weren’t thinking about before?

How have these simulations evolved since the first ones you performed?

We’ve been running very high cross-section values to see when this model starts to break compared to some observations. We’re also focusing energy on including all of the star-formation and galaxy-formation physics in these simulations. The hardest part with these simulations is that the universe isn’t just made of dark matter. There’s all of this other annoying normal stuff that we have to think about, too. Gas that can turn into stars—and some of those stars are going to be so massive that they blow up as supernovae. When they blow up as supernovae, they are effectively jostling the gravitational field around them, and this jostling can potentially move the dark matter around. Is it possible that these discrepancies that we’re seeing in the observed densities of dark matter and the predicted densities of dark matter is because the galaxy-formation process itself is changing things in a way that we don’t understand very well?

Something else that I spend my time on is figuring out the cleanest and clearest cases for determining what comes from the physics of dark matter versus the physics of star formation and galaxy formation. We have to think hard about how clean our cosmological experiments are.

Where is that cleanest cosmological laboratory?

My opinion is that the cleanest sites are the teeniest, tiniest galaxies we know about—dwarf galaxies. They have very few stars but huge amounts of dark matter. In some cases they have 100 times as much dark matter within their visible extent as they have visible matter. (The Milky Way interior to the Sun is about half dark matter and half normal matter.) Dwarf galaxies have so much dark matter compared to their stars, they’re excellent laboratories for dark matter. They’re as clean as we have.

But studying dark matter physics in something that doesn’t give off much light is pretty difficult.

The nice thing about these objects is that a lot of them are really close by. They’re close enough that you can actually measure the velocities of individual stars. That allows you to build as precise a model as you can of the dark matter density at the centers of these galaxies. They’re close enough to study with great precision, but they’re chock full of dark matter so you don’t have to worry as much about what’s going on with the stars.

There have been recent observational studies focusing on galaxy clusters. Are observations and theoretical models starting to move in a similar direction?

Imagine a swarm of bees; a cluster of galaxies is sort of like that. Massive collisions, where two galaxy clusters have come at each other and pass through each other, are one place to look for complex dark matter. If the dark matter is strongly interacting, when those massive clusters come together, the galaxies will keep flying right on through, but the dark matter, because it’s strongly interacting with itself, will sort of bunch up in the middle.

The Bullet Cluster shows the aftermath of a cosmic collision between two galaxy clusters. In this false-color image, the hot gas (pink) slowed down in the collision due to a drag force, while the dark matter (blue) appeared to keep passing through, as one would expect if dark matter is collisionless.
The Bullet Cluster shows the aftermath of a cosmic collision between two galaxy clusters. In this false-color image, the hot gas (pink) slowed down in the collision due to a drag force, while the dark matter (blue) appeared to keep passing through, as one would expect if dark matter is collisionless. NASA

In the famous example of the Bullet Cluster, astronomers used the effect of gravitational lensing to look at where the dark matter was. They found that the dark matter has moved right on through along with the galaxies, which is what you’d expect with collisionless dark matter. Because of this result, people said, “Well, there’s no way the dark matter is strongly interacting with itself.”

That was a few years ago and a couple things have happened since then. We’ve realized that a lot of the first-order estimates people have used to determine how much the dark matter ought to drag on itself were overestimated. Also, several other clusters have less-clear results, and in some cases maybe there is more drag than we thought before. Richard Massey’s group found evidence that some kind of dark pressure, ram pressure, is ripping the dark matter out of a galaxy.

We really aren’t at the point yet where I think we’ve done enough, though. We need to invest more effort into simulating the calculations properly with these various classes of dark matter to figure out what it is we know and what it is we don’t know. I think we’ve seen exciting hints, and they motivate us to try to do as well as we can to figure out what they mean.

Original story reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent publication of theSimons Foundation whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences.

by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Egyptian Aak 2015 – Week 35 ( Aug 24 -30)

*****5-Stars the indispensable Must Read on #Egypt & #MENA from Dr Nervana Mahmoud #Egyptian #Aak

Nervana

Top Headlines

  • El-Sisi visits Russia (Tuesday)
  • Arab League postpones issuance of “unified military force” protocol (Wednesday)
  • Egypt sentences Al-Jazeera English journalists to 3 years in prison (Saturday)
  • Egypt summons UK ambassador over criticism of Al-Jazeera trial (Sunday)
  • Egypt to hold parliamentary election in autumn (Sunday)
  • Italian energy giant ENI announced the discovery of the “largest ever” natural gas field in the Mediterranean off the shores of Egypt (Sunday)

Al-Jazeera verdict

 (Photo of al-Jazeera trial, Amal Clooney with ex-Al-Jazeera Journal Mohamed Fahmy – via Twitter)

Main Headlines

 Monday

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by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights

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Surrealist Dreams

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500px.com – The beach pictured here is called Wharariki (pronounced “far-a-ricky”) and the rock formations in the image are actually part of the Archway Islands. This beach is located at the extreme north top …

From Sydney to Arizona, the most spectacular sunset and sunrises

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dailymail.co.uk – These stunning images of sunrise and sunset were taken over the course of four years by a photographer – who had just 15 minutes a day to capture them. Paul Reiffer, 35, travelled the globe catchin…

International Day against Nuclear Tests (29 August)

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un.org – Since nuclear weapons testing began in the mid-twentieth century, with the first test on 16 July 1945, nearly 2,000 have taken place. There has been little consideration of the devastating effects …

What the Iran Debate Shows About America’s Difficulties in Discussing World Affairs

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‘It was a boat of death’: Up to 200 migrants feared dead after another boat capsizes in the Mediterranean

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smh.com.au – Drowned in darkness: The body of a migrant lies on a dock, in Zuwara, Libya. Photo: AP Cairo: Up to 200 people were feared dead in the latest boat capsizing off the Libyan coast, as dozens of bodie…

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ICC: Long-Awaited Trial Begins for DR Congo Crimes

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Worldview: A shocking silence on ISIS’s sex slavery

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philly.com – One of the most heinous of the endless war crimes of the Islamic State has been the systematic rape of thousands of young girls and women – who are sold as sex slaves. Most of the victims come from…

Turkish police detain two British journalists in Kurdish area

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10 Disgraced Iraq War Architects Who Are Desperately Trying to Undo Obama’s Iran Deal

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Helping Hands Press: Joy Ross Davis discusses her experience as the keynote speaker with the all-Alabama chapters of the Business and Professional Women (BPW).

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myhelpinghandspress.blogspot.com – Joy Ross Davis discusses her experience as the keynote speaker with the all-Alabama chapters of the Business and Professional Women (BPW). On July 18th I was fortunate enough to be the keynote spea…

The Methods for SuperHuman Productivity — STARTUPS + WANDERLUST + LIFE HACKING

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Two sisters to be raped as punishment – demand justice

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#NewOrleans, Love Me or “Hate Me for my Freedom”?

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diplomatartist.com – In the immediate aftermath of #Katrina, many around America blamed the death and destruction on New Orleans and its residents – some asked should the US simply abandon New Orleans? The pretext was …

The ‘saddest bride I have ever seen’: Child marriage is as popular as ever in Bangladesh

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washingtonpost.com – Thirty-two-year-old Mohammad Hasamur Rahman with his new bride, 15-year-old Nasoin Akhter, in Manikganj, Bangladesh. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images) On her wedding day, 15-year- old Nasoin Akhter look…

Why we love “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas

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Public servant being investigated for writing and performing anti-Tory ‘Harperman’ song

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How to Be Ridiculously Likable — Life Learning

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POLITICS

In Iran deal debate, Jewish Democratic NY assemblyman plays Holocaust card – World

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haaretz.com – JP UPDATES – Speaking at a rally against the Iran deal in front of the Jewish Children’s Museum in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikin compared Jewish leader…

Latino Workers Helped Rebuild New Orleans, But Many Weren’t Paid

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Kentucky clerk seeks Supreme Court help to deny gay marriage licenses

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TECHNOLOGY

8 Expenses Businesses Should Pass on to Customers

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entrepreneur.com – Starting a business can be difficult, both mentally and financially, and there are plenty of mistakes to be made. One common error among fledgling companies is invoicing. As a small-business owner,…

Helping Hands Press: Six Suggestions for Emerging Authors by I.O. Kirkwood

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How to get more Twitter followers free fast: @ArabianPages

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SCIENCE

Scientists just discovered a deepwater reef more diverse than the Great Barrier Reef

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inhabitat.com – Park officials in the southern Australian province of Victoria say a deepwater reef has been discovered there that may have more coral, sponge, and fish than the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is in …

A nap a day could save your life, research suggests – Telegraph

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#IRAN

Intelligence and Security Officials Shut down City Water to Baha’is of Dazgareh – Iran Press Watch

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iranpresswatch.org – According to the “No Campaign ‒ No to Abuse and Imprisonment of Baha’i Residents”, on Monday 24 August, agents of the Intelligence and Security services have shut down City water for residents of t…

No Hospital Beds for Millions of Mental Patients

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Michigan Rally Shows Support for Ex-Marine Held by Iran

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Video Footage of Gathering in Khavaran Cemetery in 2007

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Le film “Mahomet”, succès populaire en Iran, chahuté à Montréal

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L’Iran annule le concert de l’orchestre de Berlin dirigé par Daniel Barenboim

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Gaffe de l’ambassadeur de Suisse en Iran à l’égard de Netanyahou

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i24news.tv – G. Haas montre une caricature insultante de Netanyahou; le Parquet viennois accusé d’ignorer l’antisémitisme La Suisse a exprimé ses regrets vendredi après que son ambassadeur à Téhéran a montré un…

Iran’s Rouhani urges patience over opposition leaders

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MP seeks solutions to house arrests, media ban

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1,000 Teachers Behind Bars in Iran

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Iranian hopes and fears – Le Monde diplomatique – English edition

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by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Sea of Misery

salamamoussa

At the beginning of the Fourth Century CE the Roman Empire was at its zenith. It had reorganized successfully into two manageable halves, stood the pressure from the Persian Empire, acquired a new state religion and reworked its finances and public administration to a stellar state. Within a dozen years after that the Empire began to suffer serious stresses which would ultimately culminate in the loss of Thrace, Spain, Gaul and North Africa, accounting for considerable revenue, and eventually the complete collapse of its Western half.

Historians blame a series of “barbarian” invasions for this calamity. In fact, the ultimate cause was far away in Asia. The pastoral Huns were suffering serious ecological disruptions and their bloody and cruel raids pushed the Germanic nations across the Roman frontiers. These Germans were no “Barbarians”, they had been Romanized for generations, somewhat uneasily. It can be said they were facing their “struggle…

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by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights

Source: Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights

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Tenth Wall Defense 4 Human Rights
@MarkGKirshner
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Friday, Aug. 28, 2015 Next update in about 21 hours Archives

twiterhero.blogspot.com – Finding followers free fast with nothing to buy using the Twitter.com follow button, not some fake twitter followers adder bot. No twitter followers for sale here, connect with real accounts that a…
Australia confiscated 650,000 guns. Murders and suicides plummeted.

vox.com – The on-camera shooting of two Virginia reporters Wednesday morning seems bound to evoke, like so many shootings before it, some sort of national conversation about gun control. Which means there wi…
Heritage expert inspects Nalanda for Unesco tag

thehindu.com – An expert from Paris-based International Council of Monuments and Sites is visiting the ruins of the Nalanda University to evaluate India’s bid to get the ancient site inscribed in the Unesco World…
The ‘saddest bride I have ever seen’: Child marriage is as popular as ever in Bangladesh

washingtonpost.com – Thirty-two-year-old Mohammad Hasamur Rahman with his new bride, 15-year-old Nasoin Akhter, in Manikganj, Bangladesh. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images) On her wedding day, 15-year- old Nasoin Akhter look…
Just Out Of Jail, Ethiopian Leader Brings A Sharp Message To Obama

npr.org – Just a few months ago, Bekele Gerba was languishing in a high security Ethiopian jail, hearing the cries of fellow prisoners being beaten and tortured. Now, the 54-year-old foreign language profess…
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MarkGeoffreyKirshner @MarkGKirshner #Art #Music #Law #vaw #UN #HeForShe #Interfaith #Iran #Egypt #Spirituality. http://pinterest.com/markgkirshner . https://markgeoffreykirshner.wordpress.com . http://instagram.com/markgkirshner/ . NY

VIDEOS

The Actor: A Novel by Douglas Gardham

Natalie Merchant Live in Concert 16:9

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猫のいる風景画(Scenery of cats.)

Filamentary Networks of Electric Currents Pervade Space | Space News

The Cranberries – Dreams (subtitulado)

Tracy Chapman – Give Me One Reason (Live 11/13)

Overview of Resilience

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Iranians flee human rights abuses – 10 Dec 09

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WORLD
Migrant crisis: Libya boats capsize off Zuwara carrying hundreds – BBC News

bbc.com – Hundreds of people are feared dead after two boats carrying up to 500 migrants capsized off the Libyan city of Zuwara, residents and officials say. The first boat, which signalled for help early on…
Voices in Danger: How can we prevent journalists from being sexually assaulted in conflict zones?

independent.co.uk – One female journalist commented that in some countries, “It is no longer that a woman might be sexually violated or harassed, but that a woman now will be sexually violated if attempting to report …
Saudi preacher who killed his daughter released

UNHCR viewpoint: ‘Refugee’ or ‘migrant’ – Which is right?

Illegal and Prolonged Confinement of Bahareh Hedayat, Iranian Human Rights Advocate

Gaza protesters ask Egypt to bring back 4 Palestinians missing in Sinai

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LEISURE
The Artist Who Puts Couples in Vacuum Packs | VICE | United States

vice.com – Since 2009, Haruhiko “Photographer Hal” Kawaguchi has made a career out of asking couples he doesn’t know to come home and get in the bag. Not many people could pull something like that off, but th…
Find Your Passion With These 7 Simple Ways!

redshoemovement.com – The idea that finding your passion is the best way to advance in your career is finally catching on. Here are 7 ways to find your passion that will bring home this often-elusive concept. Maybe you’…
Helping Hands Press: We all need to be more Amish-Roger Rheinheimer

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Two sisters to be raped as punishment – demand justice

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Writing, Guest Post from Douglas Gardham, author of The Drive In

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fictiontofruition.weebly.com – Title: The Drive In Author: Douglas Gardham Publisher: iUniverse Pages: 130 Genre: Short Stories Format: Kindle/Paperback Have you ever been intrigued by what mysteries lie behind the doors and wi…
First Poster Of ‘Steve Jobs’ Movie Starring Michael Fassbender Emerges

Sexual exploitation of children: UN rights expert launches official visit to Japan

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POLITICS
End death penalty, keep it for terror only: Law Commission

indianexpress.com – In what will be a reversal of its earlier stand, the Law Commission of India is set to recommend abolition of death penalty in the country. A 272-page draft report of the Law Commission, circulated…
Official visit to Bangladesh by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief

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ISIS targeting children for recruitment
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SCIENCE
The Next Revolution in Photography Is Coming

time.com – It’s time to stop talking about photography. It’s not that photography is dead as many have claimed, but it’s gone. Just as there’s a time to stop talking about girls and boys and to talk instead a…
neuroscience

Rising sea level threatens coastal restoration, New Orleans levees, scientists say

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TECHNOLOGY
Sophisticated Phishing Campaign Targets Iranian Diaspora

voanews.com – Civil society activists in the Iranian diaspora community are being targeted with an elaborate and sophisticated phishing campaign designed to steal their email communications and contacts, a group…
Here’s How Iran Resets Your Gmail Password

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#IRANELECTION
Iran is premiering their $40 million dollar movie about the childhood of the prophet Muhammad

businessinsider.com – Iran’s most expensive movie, “Muhammad”, which chronicles the childhood of the Muslim prophet, opened nationwide on Thursday, winning praise from early audiences. Directed by Majid Majidi, the 171-…
Iran Renews Support For Hamas Terrorists

How Social Media Has Helped Amir Hekmati, an American Imprisoned in Iran

Building Khavaran Cultural Centre on Ruins of Baha’i Cemetery! – Iran Press Watch

Cheetah Conservation Day aims to protect species in Iran

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A Report on the Situation of Misagh Yazdan Nejad in Rajai Shahr Prison

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Bedbugs Have Put Prisoners of Ward 8 of Evin Prison in a Difficult Situation

hra-news.org – HRANA News Agency – Bedbug bites and insect stings have exhausted prisoners in ward 8 of Evin prison. According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), bedbug bites and…
Ebrahim Firuzi Ended His Hunger Strike after 5 Days

Aliasghar Mahmoudian Has to Serve More Due To Medical Furlough

A Citizen of Afghanistan Died in the Iranian Refugee Camp

Berlin orchestra’s planned Tehran concert angers Israel

Tehran street named after “Angel for Kids with Cancer” – Real Iran

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by Mark Geoffrey Kirshner

Robert Satloff’s 10 Questions for President Obama on the Iran Nuclear Deal – The Atlantic

It is not too late to strengthen the Iran deal, a prominent critic says.

Source: Robert Satloff’s 10 Questions for President Obama on the Iran Nuclear Deal – The Atlantic
10 Questions for President Obama About Iran
img_179121121 It is not too late to strengthen the Iran deal, a prominent critic says.
One person who has been talking about the need to strengthen the deal, and who has been raising questions about the deal’s potential unintended consequences, is Robert Satloff, the executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
During the course of a lengthy email exchange with me over the past several days, Satloff generated a list of 10 questions he would like to ask President Obama about the deal. Here are Satloff’s questions to the president:

1. You have argued that the Iran deal enhances Israel’s security and those of our Arab Gulf allies. At the same time, your administration has offered the Gulf states a huge security package by way of compensation and you have expressed frustration that the government of Israel has not yet entered into discussions with you to discuss ways to bolster its security. But isn’t this a paradox? If the Iran deal bolsters their security, shouldn’t their security needs be going down, not up?

2. It is surely legitimate for you to argue that the Iran deal enhances U.S. security but it certainly seems odd for you to claim to understand Israel’s security needs more than its democratically elected leaders. Are there other democracies whose leaders you believe don’t recognize their own best security interests or is Israel unique in this regard?

3. Constructive, respected, well-informed observers, like your former [National Security Council] Iran policy advisor Dennis Ross, have urged you to propose transferring to Israel the “mountain-busting” Massive Ordnance Penetrator as a way to boost Israel’s independent deterrence against Iran. But you have not done so. Instead, in your letter to Congressman [Jerrold] Nadler, you highlighted your administration’s plan to send Israel a much less capable weapon. Why are you reluctant to send Israel the best item we have in our inventory to address this profound threat?

4. You have said that the Iran nuclear agreement provides a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the threat of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Would you agree, therefore, that the pursuit of an independent nuclear option by another Middle East country—say, Saudi Arabia—would be clear evidence that the Iran deal had failed?

5. In your letter to Congressman Nadler, you refused to spell out the penalties Iran would suffer for violations of the agreement, saying that “telegraphing in advance to Iran the expected response for any potential infractions would be counterproductive, potentially lessening the deterrent effect.” On the surface, this is difficult to understand—after all, as a constitutional law professor, you can appreciate that having clarity in terms of penalties for lawbreaking is a basic element of our legal system. If you aren’t willing to publicly spell out this approach to penalties, can you guarantee that the United States and its European partners have already agreed, in writing, on precisely what actions they will collectively take in response to different types of infractions? Will you share these details with at least the leaders of the relevant committees in Congress? Or is the real reason you aren’t willing to “telegraph” these penalties in advance [is] because we and the Europeans can’t agree on them?

6. In your letter to Congressman Nadler, you also said you “reserved the right to deploy new sanctions to address continuing concerns.” Can you spell out what sort of new sanctions you have in mind? Specifically, wouldn’t it make sense for you to ask Congress to articulate new sanctions now that would come into effect if our intelligence agencies reported that Iran was using its sanctions-relief windfall to transfer large sums (or expensive weapons systems) to its allies and terrorist proxies?

7. You have argued that the global sanctions regime falls apart if Congress rejects the Iran deal. But the key variable here is not Europe, China or some other foreign country—it’s the United States. Specifically, the sanctions regime only collapses if the U.S. stops enforcing the sanctions with the same vigor it has enforced them [with] in recent years, and instead goes back to the policy of the Clinton and Bush administrations, which refused to enforce ILSA [Iran and Libya Sanctions Act] despite overwhelming votes for that law in Congress. In the event of a “no” vote, can you promise that your administration will expend the same effort and resources to enforce U.S. sanctions laws against Iran as has been the case the last few years? And if that’s the case, what’s your explanation for how or why sanctions will collapse?

8. The supreme leader clearly wants the benefits of the deal—both in terms of sanctions relief and the international validation it brings for Iran’s nuclear program. Yet you seem to bend over backwards to be wary of saying things that might upset him. (Given the supreme leader’s continued hostility toward America, this is a characteristic that he doesn’t seem to share.) Specifically, in your letter to Congressman Nadler, why did you resort once again to the “all options are on the table” formulation in the event Iran dashes toward a bomb? Since a “dash” implies Iran would be hell-bent toward achieving its goal, why not state bluntly that we would use force to stop them? If they are dashing, haven’t they already violated the core commitment in the Iran agreement not to pursue a weapon? If they are dashing, the threat of renewed sanctions surely isn’t an effective deterrent. Wouldn’t candor produce more deterrence than subtlety?

9. In your American University speech, you said the Iran agreement produced a “permanent” solution to the threat of the Iranian nuclear bomb. But just a few months ago, you told an NPR interviewer that Iran’s breakout time toward a bomb “would have shrunk almost down to zero” when restrictions on centrifuges and enrichment expire in after 10-15 years. Can both statements really be true?

10. In your final debate with Mitt Romney in October 2012, just before you came before American voters for the final time, moderator Bob Schieffer asked you specifically what sort of Iran deal you would accept. Your response was: “The deal we’ll accept is that they end their nuclear program.” Notwithstanding the significant achievements of the Iran agreement, it clearly falls short of “ending their nuclear program.” Moreover, you and your spokespeople regularly disparage as warmongers those who advocate what you once called for. Why did your own position in 2012 become warmongering by 2015?