Giant Ribbon Discovered At Edge of Solar System 251
beadwindow writes "NASA's IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) spacecraft has made the first all-sky maps of the heliosphere and the results have taken researchers by surprise. The maps are bisected by a bright, winding ribbon of unknown origin: 'This is a shocking new result,' says IBEX principal investigator Dave McComas of the Southwest Research Institute. 'We had no idea this ribbon existed — or what has created it. Our previous ideas about the outer heliosphere are going to have to be revised.' Another NASA scientist notes, '"This ribbon winds between the two Voyager spacecraft and was not observed by either of them.'"
Tag this (Score:5, Funny)
startrekgenerations
Ribbon? (Score:5, Funny)
Bill Gates thought that he was being innovative. Who'd have guessed that God came up with it first?
Re:Tag this (Score:4, Funny)
Negative. Tag this nexus!
Widespread Reach (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cosmic caring (Score:1, Funny)
No, it's pink... the universe is celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Prediction (Score:2, Funny)
be careful (Score:5, Funny)
It's good we discovered this early on. If we were already launching interstellar ships, there's a very real danger that at least one crew member's latent ESP abilities would start to run amok after their ship tried entering the ribbon. And, even worse, it'd probably be one of the ship captain's oldest friends.
Re:Ribbon? (Score:5, Funny)
Final Fantasy (Score:5, Funny)
At last, we now know why the solar system is immune to status effects.
Re:Mine is more interesting (Score:1, Funny)
don't like the ribbon (Score:1, Funny)
This ribbon thing is driving me nuts!
Ribbons, Spheres ... (Score:2, Funny)
We're all in the middle of a cosmic rhythmic gymnastics competition!
The Hindmost is pleased. (Score:3, Funny)
And so begins Louis, Nessus, Teela, and Speaker's journey...
A ribbon? (Score:3, Funny)
What, can't a solar system look cute for photo day?
Have something written (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Easy... (Score:3, Funny)
No, it's a warning beacon advising more civilized species of interstellar travelers to keep away from from a star system inhabited by homo sapiens sapiens.
It's a restaurant, you uneducated slob! (Score:1, Funny)
....at the edge of the solar system.
Re:Cosmic caring (Score:3, Funny)
Does that mean the solar system is a girl? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Ribbon? (Score:2, Funny)
Pioneer 10 & 11 did just fine with menus and tool-bars, you spoiled young wipper-snappers!
All hail (Score:5, Funny)
The Note (Score:5, Funny)
"Please wear this ribbon on your planetary system in order to help us raise awareness. Awareness is such a precious commodity in galaxies of all colors, shapes and sizes, that we feel it only proper to honor the awareness that is within us all by taking this opportunity to mark those systems with nascent awarenesses with a ribbon. Hopefully by comparing our pre-aware planetary systems we can come to appreciate our own awareness and the source of that awareness, whatever form you may believe that it takes. Remember, it takes a spiral arm to raise a planetary system. Thank you again for raising awareness with this ribbon."
Does it bounce on the edges? (Score:2, Funny)
Seems God is AFK and we are seeing the screen saver.
Re:Easy... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Easy... (Score:5, Funny)
No, it's a warning beacon advising more civilized species of interstellar travelers to keep away from from a star system inhabited by homo sapiens sapiens.
Actually, it's a banner. When we finally decipher it, we'll read, "Do Not Feed The Monkeys."
Well, actually, ".syeknoM ehT deeF toN oD" If you know what I mean.
Re:Tag this (Score:5, Funny)
Babylon 5 nerd here, it's obviously The Worm.
Re:All hail (Score:3, Funny)
Why is this modded funny? This is more evidence that Pastafarianism is the One True Religion. While the theorists scramble to explain the FSM's Right Arm, us believers get angry at the blindness of the other humans. What sacrilege to explain away all the evidence smack before your face with mumbo jumbo and treat our religion as a joke!
Re:Tag this (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Prediction (Score:3, Funny)
unless its a truly unknowable god being proposed in which case why even bother, its not like theres any proposed negative outcomes from not caring.
What about Chtulhu? Wanna test that? Some face hugging love?
Re:Ribbon? (Score:3, Funny)
Wait... If both statements are true. Bill Gates must be God! It would explain some of the weird things in DNA that don't seem to do anything but it doesn't work when you take them away....
It would also explain the cases where it doesnt work when you leave them in.
Re:Tag this (Score:5, Funny)
First MS Office. Then Open Office. Now the whole damn solar system!
Ribbons be damned!
Re:Easy... (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, it's a banner. When we finally decipher it, we'll read, "Do Not Feed The Monkeys."
I'd be happier if it said "Do Not Feed On The Monkeys" to be honest.