Could there be other Universes with different versions of ourselves out there?

A representation of the different parallel worlds that might exist in other pockets of the multiverse.

One of the most exciting and enticing topics to speculate about is the idea that our reality   our Universe the way it is and the way we experience it   might not be the only version of events out there. Perhaps there are other Universes, perhaps even with different versions of ourselves, different histories and alternate outcomes, than our own. When it comes to physics, this is one of the most exciting possibilities of all, but it's far from a certainty. Here's what the science actually says about whether this could be true or not.

The Universe, as far as the most powerful telescopes can see (even in theory), is vast, huge and massive. Including photons and neutrinos, it contains some 10^90 particles, clumped and clustered together into hundreds-of-billions-to-trillions of galaxies. Each one of those galaxies comes with around a trillion stars inside (on average), and they're strewn across the cosmos in a sphere some 92 billion light years in diameter, from our perspective. But, despite what our intuition might tell us, that doesn't mean we're at the center of a finite Universe. In fact, the evidence indicates something quite to the contrary.

The reason the Universe appears finite in size to us   the reason we can't see anything that's more than a specific distance away   isn't because the Universe is actually finite in size, but is rather because the Universe has only existed in its present state for a finite amount of time. If you learn nothing else about the Big Bang, it should be this: the Universe was not constant in space or in time, but rather has evolved from a more uniform, hotter, denser state to a clumpier, cooler and more diffuse state today.

The observable Universe might be 46 billion light years in all directions from our point of view, but there's certainly more, unobservable Universe just like ours beyond that.

This has given us a rich Universe, replete with many generations of stars, an ultra-cold background of leftover radiation, galaxies expanding away from us ever-more-rapidly the more distant they are, with a limit to how far back we can see. That limit is set by the distance that light has had the ability to travel since the instant of the Big Bang.

But this in no way means that there isn't more Universe out there beyond the portion that's accessible to us. In fact, from both observational and theoretical points-of-view, we have every reason to believe there's plenty more, and perhaps even infinitely more. Observationally, we can measure a few different interesting quantities, including the spatial curvature of the Universe, how smooth and uniform it is in both temperature and density, and how it's evolved over time.

Inflation set up the hot Big Bang and gave rise to the observable Universe we have access to, but we can only measure the last tiny fraction of a second of inflation's impact on our Universe.

What we find is that the Universe is most consistent with being spatially flat, with being uniform over a volume that's much greater than the volume of the piece of the Universe observable to us, and therefore probably containing more Universe that's very similar to our own for hundreds of billions of light years in all directions, beyond what we can see. But theoretically, what we learn is even more tantalizing. You see, we can extrapolate the Big Bang backwards to an arbitrarily hot, dense, expanding state, and what we find is that it didn't get infinitely hot and dense early on, but rather that   above some energy and before some very early time   there was a phase that preceded the Big Bang, and set it up.

That phase, a period of cosmological inflation, describes a phase of the Universe where rather than being full of matter and radiation, the Universe was filled with energy inherent to space itself: a state that causes the Universe to expand at an exponential rate. This means that rather than having the expansion rate slow as time goes on, at having distant points recede from one another at ever slower speeds, the expansion rate doesn't drop at all, and distant locations   as time goes on incrementally   get twice as far away, then four times, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, etc.

Because the expansion is not just exponential but also incredibly rapid, doubling happens on timescale of around 10^-35 seconds. Meaning, by time 10^-34 seconds have passed, the Universe is around 1000 times its initial size; by time 10^-33 seconds have passed, the Universe is around 10^30 (or 1000^10) times its initial size; by time 10^-32 seconds have passed, the Universe is around 10^300 times its initial size, and so on. Exponential isn't so powerful because it's fast; it's powerful because it's relentless.

Now, obviously the Universe didn't continue to expand in this fashion forever, because we're here, and so inflation had to end, setting up the Big Bang. We can think about inflation as occurring at the top of a very flat hill, like a ball rolling slowly down it. As long as the ball remains near the top of the hill, rolling slowly, inflation continues, and the Universe expands exponentially. Once the ball rolls down into the valley, however, inflation ends, and that rolling behavior causes the energy to dissipate, converting the energy inherent to space itself into matter-and-radiation, taking us from an inflationary state into the hot Big Bang.

Inflation ends (top) when a ball rolls into the valley. But the inflationary field is a quantum one (middle), spreading out over time. While many regions of space (purple, red and cyan) will see inflation end, many more (green, blue) will see inflation continue, potentially for an eternity (bottom).

Before we move on to what we don't know about inflation, there are a few things we do know that are worth mentioning.

Inflation isn't like a ball   which is a classical field   but is rather like a wave that spreads out over time, like a quantum field.

tThis means that, as time goes on and more-and-more space gets created due to inflation, certain regions, probabilistically, are going to be more likely to see inflation come to an end, while others will be more likely to see inflation continue.

tThe regions where inflation ends will give rise to a Big Bang and a Universe like ours, while the regions where it doesn't will continue to inflate for longer.

tAs time goes on, because of the dynamics of expansion, no two regions where inflation ends will ever interact or collide; the regions where inflation doesn't end will expand between them, pushing them apart.

Even though inflation may end in more than 50% of any of the regions at any given time (denoted by red X's), enough regions continue to expand forever that inflation continues for an eternity, with no two Universes ever colliding.

Now, that's what we do expect, based on the known laws of physics and the observables that exist in our Universe to tell us about the inflationary state. That said, we don't know quite a few things about this inflationary state, and what this does is bring up a huge number of both uncertainties and also possibilities:

We don't know for how long the inflationary state lasted before it ended and gave rise to the Big Bang. The Universe could barely be larger than the part observable to us, it could be many ridiculous orders of magnitude larger than what we see, or it could be truly infinite in scale.

tWe don't know if the regions where inflation ended are all the same, or whether they're vastly different than our own. It's conceivable that there are (unknown) physical dynamics that cause things like the fundamental constants   particle masses, strengths of forces, the amount of dark energy   to be exactly what they are for us in all regions where inflation ends. But it's also possible that different regions where inflation ends, what we might consider different Universes, have arbitrarily different physics.

tAnd if the Universes are all the same as one another as far as physical laws go, and if the number of these Universes is truly infinite, and if the many-world interpretation of quantum mechanics is completely valid, does that mean that there are parallel Universes out there, where everything in it evolved exactly the same as our own Universe did, except one tiny quantum outcome was different?

The multiverse idea states that there are infinite numbers of Universes like our own, and infinite ones with differences.

In other worlds, would it be possible that there's a Universe out there where everything happened exactly as it did in this one, except you did one tiny thing different, and hence had your life turn out incredibly different as a result?

Where you chose the job overseas instead of the one that kept you in your country?

Where you stood up to the bully instead of letting yourself be taken advantage of?

Where you kissed the one-who-got-away at the end of the night, instead of letting them go?

And where the life-or-death event that you or your loved one faced at some point in the past had a different outcome?

The idea of parallel Universes, as applied to Schrödinger's cat.

It's an incredible notion: that there's a Universe out there for every outcome that's conceivable. There's one where everything with a non-zero probability of having happened is actually the reality in that Universe. But there are an awful lot of ifs that are mandatory to get there. For one, the inflationary state must have happened for not just a long amount of time   not just for the 13.8 billion years that our Universe has been around   but for an infinite amount of time.

Why is that, you ask? Surely, if the Universe has been expanding exponentially   not just for a tiny fraction of a second but for 13.8 billion years, or around 4 × 10^17 seconds   we're talking about a tremendous volume of space! After all, even though there are regions of space where inflation ends, most of the volume of the Universe is dominated by regions where it hasn't ended. So realistically, we're talking about at least 10^10^50 Universes that started off with initial conditions that might be very similar to our own. That's 10^100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Universes, which might be one of the biggest numbers you've ever imagined. And yet, there are numbers that are bigger that describe how many possible outcomes there are for particle interactions.

There are 10^90 particles in each Universe, and we need for all of them to have the exact same history of interactions for 13.8 billion years to give us a Universe identical to our own, so that when we choose one path over another, both Universes still wind up existing. For a Universe with 10^90 quantum particles in it, that's asking an awful lot   for fewer than 10^10^50 possibilities to exist for how those particles will interact with one another over 13.8 billion years. The number you see above, for instance, is just 1000! (or (10^3)!), or 1000 factorial, which describes the number of possible permutations there are for 1000 different particles to be ordered at any instant in time. Consider, mind you, how much bigger this number is   (10^3)!   than (10^1000) is.

(10^3)!, for those of you wondering, is more like 10^2477.

But there are not 1000 particles in the Universe, but 10^90 of them. Every time two particles interact, there's not just one possible outcome, but an entire quantum spectrum of outcomes. As sad as the case is, there are way more than (10^90)! possible outcomes for the particles in the Universe, and that number is many googolplexes times larger than a paltry number like 10^10^50.

Bubble chamber tracks from Fermilab, showing only a few hundred quantum interactions. The probability that just this interaction would give this exact result is astronomically small.

In other words, the number of possible outcomes from particles in any Universe interacting with one another tends towards infinity faster than the number of possible Universes increases due to inflation. Even setting aside issues that there may be an infinite number of possible values for fundamental constants, particles and interactions, and even setting aside interpretation issues such as whether the many-worlds-interpretation actually describes our physical reality, the fact of the matter is that the number of possible outcomes rises so quickly   so much faster than merely exponentially   that unless inflation has been occurring for a truly infinite amount of time, there are no parallel Universes identical to this one.

The singularity theorem tells us that an inflationary state is past-timelike-incomplete, and hence, most probably did not last a truly infinite amount of time, but rather arose some distant-but-finite point in the past. There are a huge number of Universes out there   possibly with different laws than our own and possibly not   but there are not enough of them to give us alternate versions of ourselves; the number of possible outcomes grows too rapidly compared to the rate that the number of possible Universes grows.

A huge number of separate regions where Big Bangs occur are separated by continuously inflating space in eternal inflation. But unless there's a truly infinite amount of space out there, the number of possible outcomes grows faster than the number of possible Universes like ours.

It means it's up to you to make this Universe count. Make the choices that leave you with no regrets: take the dream job, stand up for yourself, navigate through the pitfalls as best you can, and go all-out every day of your life. There is no other Universe that has this version of you in it, and there is no future for you other than the one you live yourself into.

Is There Another 'You' Out There In A Parallel Universe?

If physics conspires just right, there might be an infinite number of parallel Universes out there. But we need some help.


What do Cher Miley Eminem and Liberace have in common?

Madonna, Beyonce, Elvis -- what do these huge stars have in common besides talent? The fact that every single person knows who they are by first name alone, no last name necessary. So we took to Facebook recently and asked: Which stars are so big and shine so bright, they can easily be inducted into the one-name club?

Below, find what HuffPost Celebrity readers answered ... and we must say, we completely agree.

Some Celebrities Are So Big, They Don't Need A Last Name

Madonna, Beyonce, Elvis -- what do these huge stars have in common besides talent? The fact that every single person knows who they are by first name alo...

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You won't believe how little Oscars are actually worth

Academy Award winners have raked in millions through their acclaimed performances in hit movies, and the perks of celebrity that come with it. But one way they won't be making money is by selling their Oscar statuettes, according to academy rules.

If Oscar winners or their heirs ever try to sell their gold-plated trophies, they'll be getting a call from the academy's legal team, who will remind them that the academy itself has first dibs on any Oscar sales--and the only price it'll pay for an Oscar is a measly $10.

That rule, explained this week by the Los Angeles Times , was solidified last year when a Los Angeles County judge affirmed an academy regulation that prohibits anyone from selling the trophy without first offering it to the academy for $10. The stipulation exists to preserve the artistic integrity of the statuettes, said John B. Quinn, the academy's general counsel.

"They shouldn't become items of commerce that can be purchased and sold on the market," he told the Los Angeles Times .

The rule is part of a larger effort by the academy to stifle all attempts to infringe on the Oscar brand. In the past, it's gone so far as to stop party rentals of 8-foot faux Oscar statuettes, as well as to force websites, like trivia site Oscarwatch.com, to be renamed or shut down.

Since the first awards were handed out in 1929, 3,001 people have won an Oscar statuette. Since 1951, every recipient has signed an agreement that gives the academy the first right of refusal for the award.

That might be a disappointment to collectors hoping to hoard a potentially pricy piece of history. Michael Jackson once paid $1.54 million to snag the 1939 best picture statuette for "Gone With the Wind," and the 1941 best screenplay Oscar for "Citizen Kane" fetched more than $500,00 in 2012, according to the LA Times .

Sadly, it doesn't look like the academy's stance is going to change any time soon: Its efforts are endorsed by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in 1991 that the award is protected under federal copyright laws.

All this being said, an Oscar can be worth a significant amount of money, not to mention glory and bragging rights, to the winners. By one estimate , actors who win Oscars can expect an average $3.9 million boost to their earnings, while actresses who win only get a bump of about $500,000.

You'll Be Shocked at How Little An Oscar Statuette Is Worth

Oscar winners are prohibited from selling their awards without first offering to sell it to the academy, which will pay $10 per statuette.

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13 secrets about the muppets you probably don’t know

♫ It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights... ♫

Muppet Guys Talking, a new documentary featuring some of the performers and creators behind our favorite Muppets, premiered at SXSW this weekend. Here are some of the coolest facts we learned.

1. To record Kermit singing "Rainbow Connection" in the swamp for 1979’s The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson was put in an underwater canister with a monitor. He was cramped inside it for so long, he had trouble unfolding his limbs after.

2. Henson appears as one of the puppets in the opening to The Muppet Show.

3. Dave Goelz (who’s behind Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen, and Zoot) creates his puppets’ characters by finding a flaw within himself, amplifying it, and making it lovable.

Gonzo is "crazy but free," Bunsen is "specific but misses the big picture," and Zoot is "in his own world, but has no connection to anybody."

4. Because Fran Brill, the puppeteer behind Prairie Dawn and Zoe, is 5’4" tall, she had to wear 6-inch platform boots and sneakers to operate the puppets from underneath and be closer to the same height as her co-workers.

5. Grover is based on Fred, the dog of Grover’s puppeteer Frank Oz (who is also behind Fozzie, Miss Piggy, and Animal). Grover often tilts his head to the side just like Fred did.

6. Oz believes Miss Piggy is a truly three-dimensional character. She mirrors his own insecurities.

7. During an early rehearsal, Piggy was supposed to slap Kermit, but Oz decided she should karate chop him instead and her signature move was born.

8. Oz describes Piggy as "a truck driver underneath."

9. Animal, however, is an entirely two-dimensional character. According to Oz, he can be summed up in five words: drums, sleep, food, sex, and pain.

10. Fozzie’s voice changed dramatically from the first time Oz voiced him in 1976 to what it is now. Eric Jacobson has been puppeteering the Muppet since 2002.

11. Pepe the King Prawn is based on Bill Barretta’s wife’s aunt. When a Muppet Show writer asked him to describe the aunt, Barretta accidentally described her as "shellfish" instead of "selfish," and the character was born.

Barretta is also responsible for Johnny Fiama and Bobo the Bear.

12. One of the hardest Muppets to operate is Doctor Teeth.

13. Henson was committed to properly executing every aspect of his creations. During one scene with the Southern Colonel, Henson hired a teenage archer to actually fire at an apple on the puppet’s head — despite the fact that he and another puppeteer were crouched down operating the puppet’s hands when the arrow flew.

13 Secrets About The Muppets You Probably Don’t Know


These are the world's highest-paid movie stars (No. 2 will surprise you)

Looks like Robert Downey Jr. is living a life that's pretty close to that of his much-loved billionaire superhero character Tony Stark. The Iron Man and Avengers star earned a staggering $80 million in the past year to top the annual World's Highest-Paid Actors list published by Forbes magazine on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old actor was followed by a somewhat surprising entrant in the runner-up spot — Hong Kong comedy and action star Jackie Chan. Chan earned $50 million between June 2014 and June 2015, according to Forbes , and was followed by the Fast and Furious franchise's leading man Vin Diesel with $47 million.

Hollywood biggies Bradley Cooper, Adam Sandler and Tom Cruise are the next three on the list, but the trio that follow them are, like Chan, somewhat unexpected entrants.

Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, household names in India's prolific film industry known as Bollywood, clocked in at seventh, eighth and ninth ahead of another Hollywood leading man, Mark Wahlberg. Bachchan and Khan (who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently) earned $33.5 million respectively, while Kumar had earnings of $32.5 million.

This is the first time that actors from the Indian film industry have featured on the list; Forbes will release the list of Highest-Paid Actresses at a later date.

Robert Downey Jr., Jackie Chan, Vin Diesel Top Highest-Paid Actor List

Three stars from Indian film industry Bollywood also feature in the top 10

Movies, Roberty Downey Jr., World's Highest-Paid Actors, Jackie Chan, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise, India, Bollywood

1. Robert Downey Jr. 2. Jackie Chan. 3. Vin Diesel.


This is the age when your metabolism begins to slow down

Turns out we don't all live forever like Oasis promised, and we've got a limited time that our metabolism keeps us looking svelte and youthful

Based on data released by the US of Department of Health regarding calorie consumption, the age at which the average person's ability to binge food and keep off the pounds is 25.

The information was posted on the blog of statistician Nathan Yau, The information was posted on the blog of statistician Nathan Yau, Flowing Data . Yau explained that the reason for the drop after 25 is because as we age we generally become less active. When our diet doesn't change to reflect this, our metabolism seems to be letting us down.

How many calories we need as we age also depends on how active our lifestyle is. The more sedentary one is (sitting down, reading indy100 all day, for instance) the fewer calories one needs, especially when compared to the number needed and burned off by someone who is more active (such as a distance runner who reads indy100 all day).

It also differs depending on gender. Men generally consume a higher number of calories per day, and continue to do this.

On average once we hit 25, our ability to consume and then burn things off drops by about 200 calories. For women there's a further drop of about 250 calories after they turn 50. While women's metabolism capacity drops suddenly when they reach certain ages, it then stabilises and holds firm at that level. Conversely, the speed of men's metabolism declines at a much more staggered rate, decreasing steadily with age but rarely constant.

The long and the short of it is, late nights fuelled by pizza, Boost bars, and cola can only last for so long. This isn't an encouragement to live like Bill Murray in Ground Hog day, recklessly downing vanilla slices until the last minute of your 24th year, but a gentle nag to cool it once you start your adult life of sitting as much as possible.


A selection of the shortlisted photographs in the world’s largest photography competition.

The shortlist for the Sony World Photography Awards competition has been released with the winner set to be announced on 20 April. We present a selection of potential winners, drawn from more than 220,000 entries, including this one by Ann Ric which captures Mount Fuji during Japan's Fujisan Marathon.

A colourful picture is of beach goers in Salento, Italy, was captured from above Vito Leone.

Ami Vitale photographs a captive-bred panda bear at Wolong Nature Reserve in China. Handlers wear panda suits to protect the cubs from becoming used to human contact.

Carmen Sajeras, 85, was born in Cuba, from a Spanish emigrant family. She told photographer Anisleidy Martinez Fonseca that she was nostalgic for the years before the Revolution.

Emrah Karakoc's picture shows the huge crowds at the Mourning of Muharram event in Ardabil City, Iran.

In Tbilisi, Georgia, Beniamino Pisati depicts a crying infant being baptised according to Orthodox rites.

As part of Mahesh Shantaram's series on racism in India, he photographed a young couple. He explains: "Hamza came all the way from Nigeria to study human rights in India. This I found surprising. I didn't know one could study that subject here, except perhaps to study its spectacular absence. Hamza is by far the most sensitive guy I've ever met on this tour of Africans in India. When I asked to photograph him in his wallpapered dwelling, he requested that he be joined by his love, Shukura, a student of nursing."

Salvador, aged six, is a "torero," or trainee bullfighter. He sits on his bed, waiting to depart for the afternoon bullfight in Plaza Mexico.

Julien Chatelin's photograph is of an outdoor pool in Fuling, China, capturing the economic development of newly built cities.

This photograph, by Yulia Grigoryants, is of nine-year-old Syuzanna. She sits in a makeshift shelter in Gyumri, Armenia. Ten days previously, her father took his life because of debt.

Talking about his photograph of an Alicante building, Andres Gallardo Albajar says: "When arriving at the spot, it really felt like I interrupted these little palm trees while fighting, and they were pretending nothing happened."

In pictures: Sony World Photography Awards


They Thought They Saved a Puppy Covered With Dirt – But They Got Quite the Surprise at the Vet

When you’re just a little animal, it can be tough to navigate your way through a world dominated by humans. Luckily, there are plenty of living, breathing heroes out there who will go out of their way to right the wrongs when animals and human contraptions collide. Imgur user NoRoots shared one such story. Builders at a construction site in Canary Wharf, London, must have been shocked when they discovered the little guy in the photo below trapped in a hole. Covered in dirt and plastic, the nameless baby fox was so filthy that his rescuers initially thought he was a puppy, so once they got him out of the hole, they took him to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital to get treated.

We can’t blame this baby fox’s rescuers for thinking he was a puppy – it’s hard to even tell he’s an animal!

At South Essex Wildlife Hospital, he received a good scrubbing from the veterinary staff ... and the true identity of this little one started to show through.

It wasn’t until he was all cleaned up that his true identity was revealed. This lucky little one wasn’t a puppy, but a beautiful baby fox.

If rescuers hadn’t found this baby fox trapped in a hole, who knows what could have happened to him? With all that dirt on him and no mother in sight fretting over him, he must have been tough to spot. What a lucky guy! While we’re not sure if he’s old enough to be out and about on his own just yet, he’s in the capable hands of the veterinary staff at the wildlife hospital, who will help him learn to be the best fox he can be before they release him back into the wild.

This baby fox is a special case because his rescuers thought he was a puppy, but if you ever come across a wild animal in need of help, please contact your local animal rescue hotline.

When rescuers found this poor baby fox covered in plastic or dirt, they thought they were saving a puppy.

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Most of our Bollywood stars have doppelgangers. We've found a another one. For Dino Morea.

It won't be wrong to say that Dino Morea is one of the hottest bachelors in Bollywood. The supermodel turned actor too has a doppelganger. Do you know who we're talking about? Jake from Scandal.

Scott Foley who plays Jake in American TV series has striking resemblance to Dino and we are not the only ones who are saying this. For instance, read his tweet to know.

Dino Morea's got a doppelganger and you won't believe who it is!  - ...it's Jake from Scandal...

Dino Morea, Scott Foley, TV, Bollywood, scandal


What Your Cat Slowly Blinking Says About You

Cats are naturally guarded creatures, but if they let down their fuzzy wall and let you in, they can be rather affectionate. If you own a happy cat who trusts you, then you’ve probably seen what is called a "kitty kiss". It’s that narrowing of the eyes when they look at you, slowly blinking in your direction. So what is the kitty kiss all about anyway? Let’s take a closer examination at this look of love:

If your cat makes a habit of giving you the slow blink, this is an obvious good sign. Cats don’t divvy out their trust to just anyone, so if they are giving you the slow blink then they are doing this to show you that you’ve made it to their inner circle... and that’s a terrific position to be in. Some rescue cats who sadly may have experienced a hard life before you came into the picture may take longer to warm up, but if you continually treat them with love and kindness the kitty kisses should start pouring in. Fun fact: even kittens are tiny masters of the kitty kiss!

Got more than just one cat in your home? You may notice your dominant cat showing off his/her kisses when the other cats are around. Your dominant cat is doing this as a signal to the others that all is good, and letting them know there is no need to worry about this human- They are part of our group. Cats express their emotions in many ways with their body language, and other than rubbing their heads against you, this sign is purely powerful in terms of their affection towards something they like with a strong passion.

You will only find this behavior in cats who are really happy. Your cat is making it clear they are comfortable, happy and feel safe in your care. Would you like to let them know you feel the same way? Do it back. 🙂

Although you may feel silly at first, try getting on your cat’s level and give them a slow blink in return. Chances are that they will be tickled over the gesture and steadily this can become a bonding experience for you and your precious feline companion. Is there really any more of an endearing way to say, "I love you" than "eye love you" (ok we thought it was funny :)) You should feel pretty special when they chose to give their cat kisses to you.

The cat is happy and trusts you. #StopClickBait
Thank you Taylor!

1. You Are Trustworthy
2. You Are A Member Of The Group
3. You Have A Very Happy Cat


What Science Really Says About Drinking Before Bed

There’s a lot of evidence that drinking before bed is doing you no favors in the sleep department. Most experts ― including the National Sleep Foundation ― put avoiding alcohol in the evening on the list of things to do to improve your slumber.

But as the temperatures start to fall and red wine season begins, is a little vino before bed really going to wreck our rest?

"Initially you might feel sleepy and fall asleep easily, but you end up awakening more often in the middle of the night and the alcohol has a disruptive effect on sleep," Timothy Roehrs, director of research at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center of Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital, told The Huffington Post.

Cabernet lovers everywhere, take note: That doesn’t mean one nightcap will guarantee a night of tossing and turning. "Usually it takes more than one drink to have any disruptive effects on sleep," Roehrs said.

Here’s everything you need to know about drinking before bed:

At first alcohol does make you drowsy, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever indulged in a glass of wine at the end of a long day.

Studies that compared brain activity in individuals after drinking with brain activity when the same people were sober show that our brains actually "turn off" quicker (and subsequently we fall asleep faster) after imbibing. The same sleep-inducing effect happens after drinking during the day, Roehrs said.

Unfortunately for our sleep, that’s not the end of the story.

As we move through our first cycle of sleep ― and sometimes the second cycle of sleep, depending on how many drinks we’ve had ― alcohol actually suppresses rapid eye movement sleep, Roehrs explained. REM is our lightest stage of sleep, when we dream and when a key part of the learning process happens that makes long-term memories "stick."

You’ll be tired and irritable the next day.

Instead during those first cycles of sleep, we fall (and stay) in the deepest and most restorative stage of sleep: slow wave sleep.

This sounds good, but research suggests after drinking, the quality of that deep sleep isn’t quite the same caliber our bodies tend to hit on nights we don’t imbibe ― and this lack of quality is linked to daytime drowsiness, headaches and irritability the next day.

You’ll wake up in the middle of the night.

What’s more, as our bodies metabolize the alcohol (i.e., as blood alcohol concentration returns to 0), our sleep experiences a rebound effect, Roehrs said. During that second half of the night, our bodies ― in an effort to make up for what was lost earlier in the night ― spend more time in REM sleep.

The effect of consolidating sleep in the first half of the night is offset by having more disrupted sleep in the second half of the night. Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director at The London Sleep Centre

The problem is REM sleep is when we are most likely to be awakened.

"The effect of consolidating sleep in the first half of the night is offset by having more disrupted sleep in the second half of the night," Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director at The London Sleep Centre, previously said in a statement.

In a review of 153 studies that investigated the effect of alcohol on sleep, Ebrahim and his colleagues found alcohol consistently caused an increase in sleep disruption in the second half of a night’s sleep.

One study that tracked brain activity in individuals after a night of drinking showed that they woke up roughly twice as often as they did after a night spent without drinking alcohol.

How to get smart about drinking before bed

How much and whether or not alcohol affects sleep depends on your blood alcohol content when you go to bed, Roehrs explained. His research has shown that a BAC equivalent to about 0.04 is the threshold at which sleep starts to be disrupted.

For an average 150-pound man, it would take about two drinks to raise a BAC to this sleep-disrupting level. And it would probably take closer to a drink and a half for a woman of the same weight to reach the same BAC.

Alcohol affects women differently than men, because women have fewer of the gut enzymes that metabolize alcohol than men do. And pound-for-pound, women have less water in their bodies than men do. That means more of the alcohol women drink goes directly into the blood compared with how the same quantity of alcohol would affect men, because in a man more of the alcohol ends up in body water.

Here’s one easy thing you can do to lessen the effect alcohol has on your BAC (and therefor your sleep): Eat something. Food delays how quickly you absorb alcohol, which can help lower your BAC.

Timing matters. Adults typically metabolize alcohol at a rate that decreases BAC by about 0.01 to 0.02 per hour. And, in theory, if you drink earlier enough in the evening ― happy hour, anyone? ― your BAC has time to drop below the 0.04 threshold before bed.

That means if your BAC is 0.08, it could take as long as four hours once you stop drinking for it to return to 0.04 ― though this depends on things like gender and weight, too.

The bottom line: Alcohol will disrupt sleep, but drinking in moderate amounts and long enough before bedtime can still let you snooze easy.

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If you have one drink, you'll probably find there is no effect - if you have more than one, you might fall asleep faster but you'll have a more restless sleep and wake up more often during the night. #StopClickBait


To witness Ron Jeremy have intercourse is to witness a grizzly bear eat a flamingo, or an orphan try to break into a vending machine. He is a manifestation of the grotesque male id, jamming fingers and genitals into every orifice at every opportunity, doing all of these things simultaneously, not making sense, not following some plan, just a man bludgeoning the human body with his sexual impulses. It is like watching a chimpanzee try to open the package of an Xbox controller.

You don't masturbate to Ron Jeremy having sex, because using a Ron Jeremy scene to masturbate is like using a volcano to barbecue—it's probably healthier to stand back and watch it have its way with the innocent. For Candy Stripers 2, a 1985 film about a hospital and doctors pretending to look at pieces of paper, Jeremy won the AVN award for Best Supporting Actor. During an early scene, he's sitting at a desk in his office while one of his nurses gives him a shoulder massage. They kiss and then he pulls away and scowls, as if he is disgusted with himself for being incapable of literally inhaling another human being. His breathing sounds like an 18-wheeler accelerating from a dead stop.

Women have always been the focus in pornography, with their exaggerated screams and contorted faces, because the male viewers who live vicariously through porn, eternally narcissistic and insecure, protective of their fragile egos, need the women to be Totally Loving That Cock. But Jeremy is central to his scenes. He is not, like most anonymous porn cocks, coolly detached or numb to the act; he is a strange loser, a figure we can relate to as he grunts and celebrates that he is having sex at all. There is no macho dehumanization; he calls women's breasts "boobies" and their butts "tushies." He says this to their faces, to the camera. He calls them "hunny" and puts a towel on the ground to protect their knees if they are going to give him a blowjob outdoors. He has a real, honest fascination with the female body. His eyes glaze over, bewildered, lustful, grateful that he is alive and this woman is alive and that he is allowed to touch her parts.

In Erotic Starlets 22, from 1987, Jeremy sits on a couch in a navy blue tracksuit next to Christy Canyon, who is wearing only a bra and underwear. When Canyon takes her bra off, Jeremy makes a face like he has witnessed the moon landing while on opiates, like he has come home to find Cleopatra playing Wii Fit in his living room. You could argue with great confidence that there has never been as sincere a human response to an event as Ron Jeremy looking at a woman's breasts. You can say pornography is artificial and explicit and caters to our most septic compulsions, but Jeremy is not misogynistic or dishonest.

"Ron Jeremy, Big-Dicked Hedonist Icon" is a subject that's been discussed over and over and does not warrant much reconsideration. But "Ron Jeremy, Devourer of Women," revisited in the context of the porn you most recently watched, is sort of a revelation. Modern male porn stars are supercharged fuck robots, seemingly immune to the emotions and sensations normal people experience during sex—the act is just furious, constant, mechanical motion. Jeremy's sex scenes are totally carnal, exposed, and human. He has to pull out every three minutes to strangle the base of his penis and tell the girls to stop bringing him so close to having an orgasm. Jeremy's performances are unsexy and weird, but their dysfunctionality is captivating. He's a shriveled man covered in back hair, glistening, hunched over, with a stomach so massive, so swollen and perfectly spherical it looks like his bellybutton is going to pop out and send him flying around the room like a deflating helium balloon.

It is nearly impossible to care less or show less of a concern with your public appearance than Ron Jeremy does. He wears button-down shirts with metallic flames on them and T-shirts for the spectacularly awful rock band Hinder. He dresses like someone whose house burned down and instead of money his insurance company gave him a gift card to Kohl's. He is built like Dr. Robotnik. He looks like a generic, slightly racist mascot of a frozen pizza brand. He is very obviously bald, but maintains the long, brittle, greasy black strands that hang down the back of his head like an animal pelt drying in a West Virginia cellar. He exists perpetually in a state of recently-divorced dad—shirt untucked, sometimes no shirt at all, always looking as if the room he is in is one he wandered into accidentally, but he'll hang out for a bit because he is out of canned beans and Wheel of Fortune doesn't start for 16 minutes anyway. He looks permanently covered in warm mayonnaise and old steel wool.

Male porn archetypes usually have one defining characteristic: black, or vaguely European, or "alternative" (wears flannel). But Jeremy is just a kind of lumpy, sweaty problem. Porn actors are aloof and indistinct, and most of them are just attractive enough that it's conceivable that this woman would fuck the UPS guy, but they're always innocuous and forgettable. They are an instrument, a tool. But Jeremy is so undeniably there, he is happening all over you, and you have to deal with it.

His Twitter feed reads like someone doing a vaudeville act on a cruise ship while periodically thrusting his erect penis at your grandmother. He sounds like a less manic Dom Deluise and speaks in sentences that are less sequences of words and punctuation than they are rapid hums of crass, recycled double-entendres. During a scene in Jurassic Cock: Old Geezer Massage with Jennifer White, who is Jewish, he says, "You know the difference between Jewish girls and a pound of Jell-O? Jell-O jiggles when you eat it. Let's see if we can change that." He is the XXX version of Henny Youngman.

He has endorsed hot sauces, skateboards, and male enhancement pills. He has his own brand of rum. There is a shamelessness, a willingness to debase himself and wring every cent and ounce of notoriety out of a wrinkled, fat man's sexual prowess that seems so purely, triumphantly American. In a 1997 interview with Salon, he talked about hoping to eventually get out of the porn business. Sixteen years later, he appeared in something called Pee-Wee's XXX Adventure: A Porn Parody. He has pursued mainstream acting, but his roles in movies and music videos are not so much characters as they are symbols of late-20th century depravity, of everyman triumphs and the possibility of dollar-and-a-dream upward mobility in this country. He can only play Ron Jeremy.

He is the down-for-whatever schlub, planting his face on everything, because he has no priorities besides sitting in this chair or fucking that girl. He has perfected the art of outward apathy and indifference. This is a Jewish man from Queens who named his brand of rum "Ron de Jeremy" and once showed up to an interview wearing crocs and sweatpants. He has smashed pretension as a concept into a thousand pieces. He revels in the improbability of everything he does. He is gross, he is naked, he does not care. We are still watching.

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This is why your team won't win the Super Bowl next year. Yes, YOUR team. Talking to YOU!

The Patriots are Super Bowl champs (again) and Tom Brady is the Super Bowl MVP (again) and we had some feelings about that (if you didn't read). But we're willing to wager right here and right now that the New England Patriots WILL NOT repeat as Super Bowl champs next season for reasons that have nothing to do with Tom Brady and everything to do with Bill Belichick.

So who is our favorite to win it all? Well, technically nobody because we came up with completely legit reasons why all 32 squads in the National Football League have absolutely no shot of winning Super Bowl LII. And truth be told, since the game will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis next year do any of these teams really want to spend a week in February in the middle of the Minnesota winter? We'll wager no.

This Is Why Your Team Won't Win the Super Bowl Next Year

Who is our favorite to win it all? Well, technically nobody because we came up with completely legit reasons why all 32 squads have no shot next year.


You Won't Believe What Salman Gorged On To Gain Weight For Sultan

is all set for the release of his much awaited film Sultan opposite this Eid. The Being Human star went through some amazing transformation for the film and director Alia Abbas explained to a daily how Salman actually pulled it off.

He said, "One point of time he fluctuates between 78 kg and 82 kg then he goes to 90 kg and then he goes to almost gaining 100 kg. The credible thing about it is that Salman Khan did it while shooting the film. I had a big action team from LA who knew what they were doing because the film also has mix martial arts. Salman had to be a certain size for that. We all sat together and we decided that what we will do is we will first shoot all the parts where he’s fit and bulky. As the film will progress we will come to his leaner part. If you have witnessed the last season of Bigg Boss last year you will see how bulked up he was. That was the time when we’re shooting his heavier part. Then we took a break around his birthday. I told him that when we will come back, we will shoot your completely out of shape part. We took a break of 25 days."

He added, "Salman loves food, so he started eating a lot. He was eating three Magnum ice-creams in a day and he gained almost 100 kg and then I was ready to shoot his unfit scenes. Salman is like bible of body building and he knows exactly what to do. There were days when he was frustrated looking at himself and saying baad mein agar weight nahin kum hua to kya hoga? But he managed. He did it without giving anyone problem."

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The uncomfortable question for Trump critics

We’ve heard a lot from President Trump, in the past week or so, about securing our borders — the southern one from migrant Mexicans, the northern from stealthy Canadian dairy farmers — and about all the taxes he wants to lower. There’s a reason for this.

The TV-obsessed president knows that he will be endlessly judged by a report-card-obsessed media for his performance during these first 100 days. And as it happens, trade, taxes and immigration are the notable areas where Trump can claim to have demonstrated some ideological consistency, if not a ton of movement.

In most other aspects, the nascent Trump presidency is very much a work in progress, or perhaps a work in regress from the rhetoric of his campaign.

The candidate who skewered China as a currency manipulator is now the president who declared that China is not a currency manipulator. The candidate critical of intervention in Syria and of suspicion toward Russia has now launched missiles into Syria and blamed the Russians for it.

He no longer thinks that NATO or the Export-Import Bank is unnecessary. He no longer cares whether President Obama’s health care law is entirely or even mostly repealed, as long as he can pass something that doesn’t send the whole system cratering.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, this is the actual story of these first 100 days — the story of a showman stunned by his own victory and trying to figure out whom he should listen to and how he wants to govern.

Which leads me to what I think are some uncomfortable questions for Trump’s critics, particularly in my own industry. If Trump turns out to be serious about growing into the job, do we have the capacity to let him? Or, as I’ve heard from a lot of angry readers over the past few months, are we already invested in watching him fail?

To be clear, whatever presuppositions Trump now faces among most of the reporters who cover him — and among the solid majority of voters who disapprove of his job performance — are of his own making. It’s hard to suddenly start granting the benefit of the doubt to someone who so brazenly lies about things both mundane and consequential.

Trump’s also shown himself to be unserious about public policy. So when he breezily declares that "no one knew" how complicated this whole health care thing really was, it’s hard to conclude that he’s really coming to terms with what he doesn’t know, or that he’s suddenly more sober about governing than he was before.

That being said, though, Trump now finds himself in a box that’s entrapped a lot of more experienced politicians before him. On one hand, if he ignores sound advice and clings tenaciously to some of the theoretical positions he tossed out during the campaign, when he didn’t expect to win and was just sort of winging it half the time, his administration will become an experiment in reckless extremism.

If Trump were to start a trade war with China, and start deporting thousands of undocumented immigrants who were brought here as kids, and tear up the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord, the results would make the Carter years look like a time of quiet stability.

You don’t want Trump to honor every one of his ill-considered promises out of some misguided sense of obligation, or because he’s afraid Steve Bannon might smuggle a cobra into his briefcase if he doesn’t.

But as soon as Trump plants a toe near sensible ground on any of these issues, he is immediately branded with that most overused epithet in American politics: flip-flopper. Invariably, when he arrives at a more nuanced position on something like Chinese currency or averting a government shutdown, the deluge of stories that follow have little to say about the policy itself and a lot to say about how Trump is either swerving erratically from his past positions or acknowledging political defeat.

In general, I’ve never been a fan of the "flip-flop" obsession in political journalism (and not only because it triggers my lethal allergy to clichés). If there’s one thing that ought to be true about both politicians and reporters, it’s that we should adjust our conclusions as the evidence changes. Ideological consistency at the expense of reason and experience isn’t a marker of integrity; it’s proof that you’ve stopped listening.

Sometimes politicians baldly sell out their convictions for political survival. (Hillary Clinton on the Trans-Pacific Partnership comes to mind.) But in a lot of other instances, it seems to me we ought to grant political leaders the same right to evolve that we celebrate in pop stars or celebrity chefs.

In Trump’s case, though, the question of how to handle this evolution is more complicated. It gets to the heart of the issue with the media and a lot of his critics, I think, which is whether we’re actually willing to let him learn on the job — assuming, of course, that he can.

You’ll frequently hear Trump’s detractors in both parties qualify their remarks by saying that of course they’d love to see him transform into a capable, successful president. That’s the right thing to say, and there are good reasons for all of us to actually mean it.

When the president succeeds, America is safer and economically sound. It’s far better for your kids and co-workers if the president you disdained as a candidate turns out to be better at the job than you might have imagined. The only thing that comes from being right is hardship.

But if I’m being honest with myself about it, I’m conflicted in Trump’s case, and I’m certain I’m not alone. That’s because Trump’s success would also validate a lot of values I find repugnant and anti-American, starting with xenophobia, misogyny and a basic contempt for accumulated wisdom or expertise of any kind.

If Trump were to become an accomplished, popular president, it would send an even more resounding message to my kids — as the election itself did — that lying and bullying carry no cost, that politics is entertainment by another name. It would mean the death, or at least the grave injury, of objective truth.

It would vindicate the dangerous idea that America is strongest not as a global leader, but as a symbol of ethnic retrenchment.

Here’s where I come down. I don’t think the chances are high that Trump can somehow evolve into a wise president who unifies the country and understands the world. I’ve been trying to play baseball a lot of my life, and I’ll never hit a 90-mile-per-hour fastball. We are who we are.

But I also don’t think we can preclude the possibility. And if, in the 100 days to come and the 100 after that, Trump’s inclined to reinvent himself as a more thoughtful statesman, we shouldn’t jump up and down screaming "flip-flopper" like a bunch of fools with severely limited vocabularies. We have to give him room to grow.

Because if we don’t, we’re only proving his point about the media — that we report only what we can stand to report, rather than the truth, and that we’re never going to give him credit for anything. And Trump will get some things right. The law of averages compels it.

Critics on the left will call this "normalizing" Trump. I call it acknowledging reality, which is that he is the president, and we don’t get to decide for people what’s normal and what isn’t.

Trump could yet find a way to be bigger than he seems. We shouldn’t ask any less of ourselves.

If President Trump turns out to be serious about growing into his job, do the media and his critics have the capacity to let him?


9 signs you might be struggling with impostor syndrome:

While impostor syndrome isn't an official diagnosis, most mental health professionals have likely treated someone with it one time or another. In fact, many mental health professionals likely have first-hand experience with impostor syndrome.

Some studies estimate that as many as 70% of the population experiences impostor syndrome at one time or another.  That means the vast majority of people walk around feeling like they aren't good enough to be doing their jobs.

People with impostor syndrome experience specific thoughts and habits that reinforce the belief that they're not good enough. Here are nine things people with impostor syndrome do:

1. They think their colleagues and supervisors overestimate them.

Studies consistently show people with impostor syndrome worry they won't be able to meet other people's expectations. People who feel like impostors likely exaggerate how much is expected from them and underestimate their ability to perform. They think things like, My boss has no idea I'm not qualified to do that project.

2. They create a perpetuating cycle of self-doubt.

Although achievement helps most people feel better about themselves, success leads to increased self-doubt in people with impostor syndrome. With each new accomplishment, their fear of being 'found out' actually increases. New levels of achievement cause them to feel as though they're going to have put in more effort to keep up the charade.

People with impostor syndrome have an immense fear of failure. But, at the same time, they're terrified of success. They want to prove their worth but they worry they don't deserve high levels of success. Studies have found this constant internal struggle leads to self-handicapping, which prevents them from reaching their full potential.

4. They remain dissatisfied with their jobs.

People with impostor syndrome don't gain satisfaction from their work. Yet, they aren't likely to strive for upward mobility. Instead, researchers have found they remain where they are because they don't believe they can do any better.

5. They avoid asking for higher salaries.

People with impostor syndrome aren't likely to ask for a raise. Since they don't see themselves as competent, they don't think they're worth more money. They continuously minimize their contributions.

In an effort to relieve their anxiety over their inadequacies, people with impostor syndrome tend to work really hard. They set high standards for themselves and try their best to reach them. But, no matter how much validation they receive for their performance, they never feel competent.

7. They decline opportunities outside their role.

People with impostor syndrome put all their effort into performing well within their roles. An individual with impostor syndrome would likely decline an invitation to join the party planning committee or an opportunity to show a new employee around the office. Studies show they view those extra duties as distractions that could derail them from getting their work done well.

8. They refuse to celebrate their successes.

Studies show success leads to increased anxiety for people with impostor syndrome. They fear they won't be able to replicate their results again as they think any achievement must be due to good luck. Despite honors, awards, promotions, or special recognition, they are never able to fully internalize their success.

9. They remain stagnant in their careers.

People with impostor syndrome doubt their ability to get hired by other companies. Researchers suspect this is why they are less likely to explore the career market. They don't recognize what skills they have and how other organizations may value their experience.

If you experience impostor syndrome, there are several things you can do to start feeling more competent. Getting a mentor and mentoring someone else can be a start. Using your skills in another way, such as by teaching a class or starting a blog, can remind you of the knowledge and skills you possess.

If your fear of being a fraud is debilitating, don't hesitate to seek professional treatment. A mental health professional can help you identify strategies that can help you start seeing yourself in the same light that others see you.

9 Things People With Impostor Syndrome Do

Impostor syndrome causes people to think, feel, and behave in a way that reinforces their belief that they're incompetent.


North America's highest peak not as tall as once thought

ANCHORAGE, Alaska Sept 12 - North America's tallest peak, Mount McKinley in Alaska, just got shorter, according to new maps published by the official U.S. geographers.

New technology used by the U.S. Geological Survey found that Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, tops out at 20,237 feet (6,168 metres) - short of the 20,320 feet (6,193 metres) commonly cited as the summit elevation.

The USGS elevation data was part of a series of about 400 updated maps released earlier in September by the agency, which is updating and refining all of Alaska's topographic maps, some of which have been used for decades.

For years, mountain climbers, aviators and others have relied on the published 20,320-foot measurement for the mountain because that was on topographic maps, the product of a 1952 geographic measurement.

That has been considered the "published" elevation, said Becci Anderson, a geographer who serves as the USGS' Alaska regional geospatial liaison.

The new data came from a 2012 survey that employed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, or IFSAR, a technology designed to track digitally very small geographic forms and changes that might be taking place.

Different methods of compilation may account for the change in measured elevation, along with other possible factors, including advancements in technology and even climate, the USGS said on its website.

While the new radar-compiled data shows a difference between the 1952 measurement and the new measurement, the USGS "takes no position in favor of either elevation," the agency said.

The new 20,237-foot summit measurement is actually the second revision issued since 1952. Mapping in 1989, which used then-new GPS technology, found the mountain to have a summit elevation of 20,306 feet (6,189 metres). But that figure was not considered published because it was not on topographic maps, Anderson said.

But there is more to the story than shrinkage of the famous mountain, Alaska Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell said in a statement on Wednesday.

The mapping initiative added into the database an entire ridge of a nearby mountain, Mount Dickey, Treadwell said. That ridgeline had been omitted from previous documents.

(Editing by Brendan O'Brien, Tim Gaynor and Peter Cooney)

Denali Height: Mount McKinley Summit Elevation Revised, Still North America's Highest Peak

By Yereth Rosen                ANCHORAGE, Alaska Sept 12 - North America's  tallest peak, Mount McKinley in Alaska, just got short...

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There's a new heir to the Iron Throne, and nobody on 'Game of Thrones' noticed

Update: This post, written after Game of Thrones Season 6, Episode 2, explains the legitimacy of certain events in Episode 10. We've added some brief notes based on the rest of the season, so don't proceed if you haven't seen it.

The body count in Westeros is really starting to pile up — and the return of one resurrected Lord Commander doesn't begin to make a dent in the numbers.

In Season 6's first two episodes, three of the Seven Kingdoms' most powerful leaders have been usurped and unceremoniously tossed on the scrap heap: Roose Bolton (along with his wife and hours-old heir), Balon Greyjoy (last of the participants in the War of the Five Kings and the last of the leeches burned in the fire by Melisandre) and Prince Doran Martell of Dorne (that guy in the bathrobe and wheelchair).

But the most important death is the one that barely got any attention: the poisoning of Princess Myrcella Baratheon, sister to King Tommen and official heir to the Iron Throne. She was the last Baratheon in Westeros — legally speaking, at least — and her absence has the potential to create even more of a power vacuum in Tommen's already ineffectual reign.

If Tommen were to die without producing any offspring, there'd be no official heir apparent — a fact that doesn't seem to have occurred yet to his mother Cersei or biological father Jaime. So far, apparently, neither has thought to do what any real-life monarchy would do in this situation: assure the world loudly and often of a secure succession.

Which would be an easy and indeed pleasant duty for them — if they'd only hit the books to find out who the successor is.

(Note that this is not the case in the Song of Ice and Fire books on which the show is based. George R.R. Martin has kept Myrcella and Stannis alive thus far; he also didn't have Stannis's daughter and heir, Shireen Baratheon, burned at the stake. At this stage, the showrunners are far more murderous than the famous author.)

So who is next in line to the Iron Throne of Westeros on the show, presuming Tommen's death leads to a peaceful and legal transfer of power? The answer might surprise you. But buckle up, because we're going to need to do some serious time traveling through Westeros history.

Even in real life, royal lines of succession can be hard to grasp. First of all, it isn't simply about who is descended from whom. There are several hundred royals in Europe who have more right to sit on the throne of England than Queen Elizabeth II, for example, but they are barred by dint of being descended from the Stuarts, a line of ousted Catholic English kings.

Similarly, if the Baratheons died out, legally and politically speaking, you couldn't simply hand the Iron Throne back to Daenerys, daughter of the Targaryen king that King Robert Baratheon ousted. Once a new dynasty seizes a throne, there's no going back except by force. And Dany's chances of doing that are looking pretty slim at the moment.

Sorry Dany, Dragons don't count when it comes to the line of succession. Image: HBO

So to find out who would replace Tommen, we have to go through a convoluted Baratheon family tree, find out who married whom, and end up in another House altogether.

But first, a side note: Yes, technically there is a son of Robert Baratheon still alive in the show. His name is Gendry, the only one of Robert's bastards to survive Cersei's massacre. But he is still a bastard, and to ascend to the throne he'd have to have the current king legitimize him.

That's hardly likely, of course, even though Gendry has Baratheon blood in him and Tommen (secretly, sort of) doesn't. The air in King's Landing is thick with irony.

King Robert and his lethal drinking horn. Image: HBO

The leader of Robert's Rebellion acquired the throne by force. He had three kids, officially and legally at least, with Queen Cersei. Joffrey and Myrcella are dead, leaving only Tommen — and if the prophecy Cersei received from a witch is to be believed, the other blond-haired kid isn't long for this world either.

The Throne would then pass to Stannis Baratheon, if he weren't pushing up daisies near Winterfell, then his faithful daughter Shireen Baratheon, if she weren't in cinders, then his younger brother Renly Baratheon, if he weren't in an advanced state of decomposition post-shadow baby.

That exhausts this generation of Baratheons. And according to this unbelievably extensive Baratheon family tree, you have to go all the way back to Robert's great-great-great-great-grandfather to find anyone in his family who sired another line that survived.

A hundred and fifty years before Robert was even born, an aristocrat called Corwen Baratheon married a woman named Leyne and had six kids. One of them, Arion, was Robert's great-great-great grandfather. The next one down to have surviving kids was Elyanna, who married a Lord named Mathin. Lord Mathin Lannister.

Mathin fathered Jason, who fathered Demon, who fathered Gerold, who fathered Tytos Lannister. And who was Tytos' firstborn son?

If you were still alive, you'd be here by now. Image: HBO

Yep, that's right. The old puppet-string puller, Lannister Godfather and Hand of the King could have sat on the Iron Throne in his own right! That is, if he hadn't ended up looking down the business end of Tyrion's crossbow while sitting on the commode.

That being the case, however, his title of heir to the throne of Westeros passes to his firstborn son ...

He's alive and intact! Well, apart from that right hand. Image: HBO

There's a problem here, however — Jaime is Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. That's a lifetime post, one you don't simply leave, even if it is to become King. Cersei may want him to rule, but we get the sense that Jaime's sense of honor wouldn't let him leave the Kingsguard even if the small council bent the rules for him.

Update: Jaime was removed from the Kingsguard by Tommen in order to help the Freys capture Riverrun. In theory, that should make him Tommen's heir — which might explain why he didn't look too happy at Cersei's coronation.

So if Jamie is passed over for the post, what about Tywin's second-born son?

'King Tyrion, first of his name' has a ring to it. Image: HBO

Though a peaceful transfer of power to the Imp would be one of the most delicious things we could ever witness in a future Game of Thrones, it's also less likely to happen than Jaime's ascendancy.

You may remember that small matter of Tyrion being convicted and sentenced to death for regicide. He's officially a traitor who lost his trial by combat thanks to an overly-cocky Red Viper.

Even if that somehow didn't legally bar him from the throne, even if his exile thousands of miles away were no impediment and even if he didn't have Mereen to rule over, Cersei would personally slit every throat in Westeros before she'd let her little brother wear the crown.

Besides, Tyrion has made friends with dragons now. What does he need with a dumb throne made of sharp swords?

So unless the Imp intends to steal those dragons from Daenerys and seize power with them himself, the title of heir to the throne of Westeros passes to ...

No longer just Queen Mother. But at what cost? Image: HBO

Yeah, you read that right. Tommen's rightful heir to the Iron Throne, the next ruler of the Seven Kingdoms if he doesn't get busy with Margaery, is his own mother — via the most convoluted route of succession imaginable.

It doesn't just make sense from a genealogical perspective. It would also be storytelling dynamite.

Picture it: Cersei, fearful of the prophecy and utterly torn apart by the deaths of all her children, is forced to take their place on the throne as she mourns. The ultimate underhanded player of the game of thrones would win it, ironically, by legal means. And the victory would taste like ashes in her mouth.

Perhaps the only sweet part about it for Cersei would be the ability to lord over Margaery again, presuming Margaery will be freed from the Sparrows' clutches at some point. That scene would be the exact opposite of one from Season 5, and would be worth it just to see Cersei swilling her giant wine goblet and destroying her rival with a devastating put-down.

Update: Now we know Cersei was able to remove the threat of Margaery as part of her attack on the Sept — which may not have left time for a vengeful put-down, but was certainly effective.

Is any of this likely to pass? Not necessarily. The whole of Westeros is under threat from a winter nobody has prepared for, and from the once-in-a-thousand-years civilization-ending threat of the White Walkers. To the east, even if there is no invasion fleet any more, there be dragons enough to cause serious damage. And Dorne, post-coup, is likely to be in full-scale rebellion.

The Baratheon-Lannister dynasty's chances of retaining control of King's Landing in the face of all those enemies seems vanishingly slim. But if the show and the books have taught us anything thus far, it's that you never, ever count this family out.

Update: Turns out the "Cersei becomes Queen" scenario was more likely than we suspected. But now you know it was a legitimate ascension to the Iron Throne, and not a coup by the Queen Mother.

BONUS: Bran of House Stark takes you inside the mighty 'GoT' treasure room

Who rules, officially, if Tommen dies? The answer requires a lot of Westeros time travel -- and may just blow your mind.

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Prince's tomb found intact after 2600 years

Archaeologists in Italy made an exciting find on Sept. 21 when they uncovered a 2,600-year-old burial site stocked with Etruscan treasures.

The most significant find was the tomb of an Etruscan warrior prince that has remained intact throughout the years.

"It’s a unique discovery, as it is extremely rare to find an inviolate Etruscan tomb of an upper-class individual. It opens up huge study opportunities on the Etruscans," excavation leader Alessandro Mandolesi, of the University of Turin, told Discovery News.

The Etruscans were one of several civilizations that dominated the Italian Peninsula for several centuries beginning around 700 B.C. Ultimately, the Etruscans were absorbed into the Roman Republic.

Mandolesi and the team removed a stone slab to open the burial site in Tarquinia, one of several ancient cities in the region that was once known as Etruria.

Ancient bones were found lying on one of two raised platforms within the burial chamber. Researchers believe the tomb was intended for a couple of noble birth, according to local reports.

So far, archaeologists have uncovered ornamental objects, such as gold and jewelry, and several vases, including one that was -- incredibly -- found hanging on a nail, Italy's The Local reports. (Can you spot the hanging vase in the photo above?)

Together with the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Southern Etruria, the team from the University of Turin is currently working to catalog the tomb's wealth of items.

Filled with medieval fortifications and other Etruscan tombs, the Italian city of Tarquinia is the site of many archaeological digs. It's listed as a World Heritage Center by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Etruscan Prince's Tomb Found Intact In Italy After 2,600 Years (PHOTOS)

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In Tarquinia Italy [Etrucscan not @3rdeyegirl]


You Should Never Ask For a Slice Of Lemon In Your Drink

It looks so delicious, and so filled with bacteria. (Photo: Pexels)

There’s something about summer that makes us want to put citrus into every single drink. Beer? A slice of orange. Cuba libra? Lemon. Mojito? Bring on the limes.

We do it because it makes drinks taste fresh, but it’s an indulgence we should consider steering clear of. Why? Because the fruit used tends to be really dirty.

Journal of Environmental Health, researchers swabbed lemon slices that were put into their drinks at 21 different restaurants. Consider this a reminder of what’s lurking in your citrus. In a 2007 study published in the, researchers swabbed lemon slices that were put into their drinks at 21 different restaurants.

They found that almost 70% of those samples produced some kind of microbial growth, and included 25 different microbial species.

"The microbes found on the lemon samples in our investigation all have the potential to cause infectious diseases at various body sites, although the likelihood was not determined in this study.

"Restaurant patrons should be aware that lemon slices added to beverages may include potentially pathogenic microbes."

Philip Tierno, PhD, clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University School of Medicine and author of The Secret Life of Germs told ELLE UK , "People are touching the lemon in your glass, handling it, cutting it, placing it in a container or a cup, or a glass; and then picking up those slices at a later point in time and dropping them into a drink and putting them on the rim of a glass."

"You can easily see how those lemon slices and lemon wedges can be contaminated."

But despite the risks, Tierno told Elle UK he does put a lemon in his drink, but he’ll return a drink if he sees a bartender put their fingers all over the rim of the glass or use a dirty rag to clean the glass. "You have to pay attention," he said.

Because there's germs on it, since people usually touch them with their bare hands.


Behold a Queen guitarist's very strange hobby

Think of them as the holograms of the nineteenth century -- stereoscopic photographs, pairs of flat images that appear three-dimensional when seen through a special lens.

A book out this month, "Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures In Hell," sheds light on this once-popular form of entertainment. The Diableries were a famous series of stereoscopic images set in the underworld, made by artists living under Napoleon's reign in the 1860s. Their target: the vices of the French upper class. Skeletons, playing analog to aristocrats, carouse with jovial devils. The alcohol flows. The scenes, originally sculpted in clay, feature glowing red eyes (rendered by backlit dabs of paint).

The book's top-billed author is also larger than life. Brian May, who holds a Ph.D. in physics, is a founding member of the British rock band Queen. The guitarist has long been rock's resident polymath. For this book, he and his co-authors tracked down all but two of the original Diableries. May also designed the viewing tool included in its packaging.

In the U.S. for the launch of the Queen musical, "We Will Rock You," May stopped to chat with HuffPost about his odd new book.

You've collected stereoscopic photographs for decades. What is it that you find so compelling about these images? It’s just inherently thrilling to me because we’re all so used to flat images, from posters to magazines. As depictions, those are very imperfect. As soon as I discovered as a kid that you can put two of these flat images together in a viewing apparatus, and you get a 3D image, that felt surreal. And you can touch it! That’s such a huge magic that never left me.

In their time, plenty of people must have thought of them as magic. This tradition goes back to about 1850. We’re talking about a time when photography was very young itself. It was just starting to compete with painting, and at the same time stereoscopy was developing too -- in England and France and America. The world was full of stereoscopic pictures, cards depicting everything from people building the pyramids to Chinese farmers brewing tea. It was the cinema of its day.

And now cinema has gone 3D. We’re having a bit of a renaissance at the moment. Ever since Avatar, I don’t have to explain what 3D is. I’m a big fan, but [at the theater] your brain is always slightly fighting to reject the stuff it doesn’t want to see. That’s the imperfection of the glasses.

What we’re looking at in the Diableries though is true Victorian stereoscopic. There is a perfection of them in excess of what you can do in the cinema. Your brain isn’t asked to do anything it can’t do at the scene. You have perfect separation of the left and the right images. You look through the window and you’re there -- in this case, in the world of skeletons and devils in a parallel universe called enfer, which is hell. The funny thing is, it’s a fun place to be.

Do you imagine they could catch on again? Not to the same degree, I'd think. It’s essentially a parlor kind of activity, which you share in your living room. It’s very personal, very non-digital, very analog, very traditional. It’s a one to one thing. If you’re with a person in your home you can share a stereoscopic viewer. It’s a social thing as well, which we’ve lost.

You've nursed a serious hobby of collecting these images since your early days with Queen. Did this book surprise any of your band members, or were they all waiting for it to materialize? Oh yeah, the whole band was aware of my obsession. Any spare moment, I was looking for the photographs. Freddie [Mercury] would have loved the book, I think. He loved photography. When the Polaroid camera was invented, he was just enchanted. He carried it everywhere. He’d take pictures of his friends and give them away. He was very generous. He probably ended up with none of them.

It sounds like he was practicing the principles of Instagram before his time. Yes, he would have loved it. It’s so strange -- Freddie hasn’t been around since the Internet has been. In 1991, mobile phones didn’t exist. The world has changed vastly in the 20 years we haven’t been with him. Twenty years with him, 20 without. It’s a curious life for me.

Are you planning to write any more books? Me and my great writing partner, Denis [Pellerin], are writing a book on the guitar. I made my guitar with my dad. It has a whole story of its own. It’s been all around the world with me. I played with it on top of the Buckingham Palace roof, at the closing ceremony of the Olympics. It’s totally a homemade guitar. The book will be called "The Red Special" -- that’s the working title.

And I probably need to write a book about Queen.

I’m sure people would love that. Although it sounds like you may not have the time! It’s hard. The things I do are things I dreamed about when I was a kid -- it’s hard to give any of them up. I certainly can never get bored. I get tired though. There isn’t much opportunity to sleep.

Think of them as the holograms of the nineteenth century -- stereoscopic photographs, pairs of flat images that appear three-dimensional when seen throug...

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Brian May collects stereoscopic photographs

Brian May
collected stereoscopic photographs


It was where he slept in a cupboard under the stairs before he was whisked off to Hogwarts. Now, Harry Potter’s childhood home at 4 Privet Drive is on the market.

But actor Daniel Radcliffe has said he will not be making an offer on 12 Picket Post Close, the suburban house in Bracknell in Berkshire that served as his fictional home in the blockbuster films.

Daniel told the Press Association: "For me I think of Privet Drive as being the fake facade we had on the back lot of Potter so I can barely remember the place, but that was probably the very first day on filming ever.

Daniel in August 2000 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

"The official first day was September 29 2000, when we filmed at the train platform, but the unofficial first day was a few weeks before when we were filming at that location."

Daniel’s new film Imperium is released in UK cinemas on September 23. His other film, Swiss Army Man, is out on September 30.

Could Daniel Radcliffe be the new owner of 4 Privet Drive? (From Echo)


One thing men do more in public than women?

We've probably all ended up sitting next to that guy on the train. You know, the man who insists on resting his elbow basically on your body, or takes up one-and-a-half seats in order to keep his legs spread or stands unnecessarily close to you even when the car is mostly empty.

That's why the "Men Taking Up Too Much Space On The Subway" Tumblr is so great. It shows photographs of what the curator calls "a classic among public assertions of privilege" -- men taking up much more space than their size calls for.

Of course, the men photographed in this Tumblr aren't doing anything malicious, but it's an interesting visual representation of the way that men feel totally empowered to take up a lot of public space -- and women often do not.

On a similar Tumblr, "Move The F*ck Over, Bro," the curator has responded to a number of questions and criticisms. Other users have written in to argue that men take up more space because they are larger and have longer legs, because they need to sit with their legs wide open to protect their balls, or because women have a lower center of gravity. One of our favorite responses from the blog's curator is this very important observation: "Your balls are not that big."

The issue of men taking up more space than seems reasonable isn't just limited to the subway. A November 2012 Wall Street Journal article investigated gender differences in air travel preferences, and reported that women often find male passengers taking over their personal space:

"I think men just feel entitled and don't notice. They are oblivious,'' said Asya Kamsky, a San Francisco software executive who flies about 200,000 miles a year. Ms. Kamsky said she defends her space against encroaching elbows and legs. "I don't have a problem kicking if I need to,'' she said.

Back in March 2012, Vice's Natalie Rothschild wrote a post about a Swedish website which brings up similar issues, called "Macho In Public," asking:

Do Swedish women really feel threatened by men who slouch on the subway? Can this seriously be construed as a feminist issue? Do feminists today really view women as weaklings who are traumatized by straddle-legged passengers and who don't have the guts to tell men to scooch over?

The issue here isn't that women feel physically threatened or fear asking someone to move over. It's just interesting to observe the very clear difference between men and women when it comes to how much space they feel comfortable taking up in public -- especially when they are inadvertently inconveniencing someone else.

In a Sept. 11 blog post for The Society Pages, sociology professor Lisa Wade wrote about how gender can impact body language:

A feminine person keeps her body small and contained; she makes sure that it doesn’t take up to much space or impose itself. She walks and sits in tightly packaged ways. She doesn’t cover the breadth of the sidewalk or expand herself beyond the chair she occupies.

That sounds familiar to us. And while we're not suggesting that women start taking up huge amounts of space on the train or start yelling at my who they observe doing so, we think it's probably OK to call out a guy for being ridiculous with a simple "excuse me, could you move over?"

'Men Taking Up Too Much Space On The Train' Tumblr Raises Some Interesting Questions About Being Male In Public

We've probably all ended up sitting next to that guy on the train. You know, the man who insists on resting his elbow basically on your body, or takes up...

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Take up more space on subways (not scientific finding)


The movie that makes Joseph Gordon-Levitt cry

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the star -- and director and writer -- of the poignant new comedy "Don Jon" talks about staying cool amid chaos, and the Disney movie that still makes him cry.

I started acting when I was a kid, but I quit for a few years and went to college to figure out if a film career was what I really wanted. For my 21st birthday, I bought video-editing software, and as I stayed up all night playing around with it, I realized there's nothing I enjoy more than making movies. Every second isn't a blast—there are plenty of long days—but I love it.

I'm a big fan of brevity. When you get trapped in your words, you can lose the real message. Whether I'm having a conversation or creating a movie, I always ask myself, "What am I trying to communicate?" Usually the most concise way is also the most elegant.

3. When I watch "Dumbo," there will be tears.

It's one of the first movies I remember seeing, with my mother. That scene where Dumbo's mom reaches through the cage bars and cradles him with her trunk? So classic. I still put it on now and then, and always have a good cry.

4. It's possible to keep calm and carry on.

One of the most important things I've learned from directing is how to manage when things don't go according to plan. No matter how much I prepare, I try to remain open to the unexpected instead of panicking.

5. You can't really know anything for sure.

My character in "Don Jon" has concrete ideas about what being a man is all about -- someone who goes to the gym, obsesses over his car, and watches pornography -- but his experiences eventually help him break out of that mold. He's a great example of how being willing to change what you think you know can introduce entirely new possibilities.

5 Things Joseph Gordon-Levitt Knows For Sure

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Cheerleader's mysterious death stuns university community

Police in Kentucky are investigating the mysterious death of a University of Louisville cheerleader.

Danielle "Dani" Cogswell, 22, was found dead in her off-campus apartment Monday morning. The Louisville Metro Police homicide unit is handling the investigation, although officials told The Courier-Journal that there were no obvious signs of foul play at the scene.

Investigators are awaiting autopsy and toxicology results.

Cogswell, a Washington state native, transferred from Arizona State a year ago. She became a flyer, a person who is in the air during stunts, for the University of Louisville's co-ed cheerleading squad. Teammates, coaches and friends remembered her as a talented athlete and a fierce competitor.

"She trained under Bela Karolyi and she traveled to Australia and China," Tyler Janes, who coached Cogswell in Washington, told WAVE. "She was in the junior Olympics... It's just very hard, I've gotten call after call from sobbing people who are just not understanding what's going on."

"She will always be remembered for her smile and her dedication to her team," Christine Simatocolos, U of L's associate athletic director for student life said, according to The Courier-Journal.

U of L community members tweeted condolences for Cogswell on Monday using the hastag #RIPDani. Appallingly, according to Gawker, at least one user used the tragedy to stoke Louisville's sports rivalry with the University of Kentucky.

Cheerleader's Mysterious Death Stuns University Community

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Hillary Rodham Clinton is a presidential hopeful for the 2016 race. She enrolled at Wellesley College where she majored in political science. She went to Yale Law School and was even a member of the impeachment inquiry staff during the Watergate Scandal.

15 U.S. Presidents And Presidential Hopefuls Ranked By IQ Score – Pag...


One of the year's best actors is vying for a spot on @LenaDunham's "Girls"

Turns out, Elba really wants a role on Lena Dunham's "Girls." He tweeted his appreciation for Dunham and her show on Wednesday (Jan. 22).

@lenadunham Very funny woman. Can I come do a scene on your show?...i promise, NO selfies...:) — Idris Elba (@idriselba) January 22, 2014

We can already imagine the role: He could play a dapper brownstone owner who seduces one of the "Girls" -- preferably Shoshanna -- and holes up with her in his gorgeous apartment for 24 hours. Oh wait, that sounds familiar ...

Idris Elba Really Wants To Be On 'Girls'

Idris Elba had a huge year with a Golden Globe nomination for his role in "Mandela," but there's one part he hasn't landed just yet.

Turns out, Elba

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Which Celebrity's Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Is Constantly Being Vandalised?

Everybody from the Olsen twins to Michael Jackson to Audrey Hepburn has a star, with the late Muhammad Ali even insisting that his tile was mounted to a wall to avoid people "with no respect" for him walking on his name.

A tip that perhaps another public face probably should have utilised, with one celeb’s tile taking social media by storm after getting constantly vandalised - any thoughts on who it could be?

Well, it’s Donald Trump, the controversial US Republican presidential candidate - seems pretty obvious now you know the answer, eh?

The political figure is the cause of much debate all across the globe and anti-Trump residents of West Hollywood have been defacing his star, urinating on it, and even leaving dog poo on it.

Donald Trump’s star on Hollywood walk of fame ... covered in dog poop https://t.co/xDRH6Wea45 pic.twitter.com/lOB8gV2GjB — NTXProgressive (@NTXProgressive) April 5, 2016

Swasitka painted on Donald Trump’s star on the walk of fame. Unsure if done by supporters or protesters pic.twitter.com/TOde6eR72o

— Kate baΓtles (@bbbartles) March 17, 2016

Locals have been taking to Twitter to share updated photos of his star after it gets vandalised, with it so far having a swastika painted on it, various swear words, and a ‘mute’ symbol.

Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of #Fame star was just enhanced with a muted #sign painted by Norwegian #artist Pøbel. pic.twitter.com/kBqQeJic5l — AllPublicArt (@allpublicart) May 9, 2016

In fact, a petition to remove his star from the notorious walk has more than 41,000 signatures, with the President hopeful being awarded it way back in 2007 for his work on The Apprentice.

Donald Trump’s star on the Walk of Fame vandalized w/swastikas & dog poop; NEXT @ABC7 tune in! @abc7kristen w/story! pic.twitter.com/CJf9iyBEY8 — Marc Cota-Robles (@abc7marccr) April 5, 2016

As it stands, the Californian council continue to clean Trump’s destroyed star, but who knows? Maybe one day they’ll give in...

There are around 2,500 tiles lining the sidewalk of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, with each one paying tribute to a different celebrity.  Everybody from the Olsen twins to Michael Jackson to Audrey Hepburn has a star, with the late Muhammad Ali even insisting that his tile was mounted to


Forget Paris and Frankfurt usurping London as Europe's preeminent financial center. How about Vienna?

A big Russian bank is considering shifting more of its of business to the Austrian capital as Britain heads for Brexit. VTB already has some operations in the city, but there are a handful of reasons why Vienna should be attractive to other firms too.

World's Leading Financial Centers London is still preeminent in Europe, according to a report by Z/Yen Group Source: Z/Yen Group, based on statistical data and a poll of finance professionals.

Europe can't take it for granted it will be able to provide the base for a financial center if London declines. George Osborne, former U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer, has warned that if London loses its status after Brexit, the continent would struggle to replace it. He thinks the fintech industry might shift to California. U.S. bank bosses are more likely to move business to New York than the euro zone if they leave London, judging by the signals coming from the annual meeting of the International Institute of Finance.

So, if Europe wants its own finance hub it needs one that ticks the boxes. Vienna happens to be a pleasant city and is geographically in the heart of Europe. It's possible to imagine financiers being open to the idea of relocating there and wanting to settle there for a decent part of their careers. True, Vienna may not have London's intensely cosmopolitan buzz -- but that goes for pretty much every alternative financial center in Europe.

Relatively Popular Vienna's population trails that of London and Paris Source: Eurostat

These factors get Vienna onto the shortlist. But its key advantage is simply that it is neither Paris nor Frankfurt. There can only be one financial center, and if the choice were only between the French and German financial business capitals then one would have to lose. It is hard to see either France or Germany calming sitting down and agreeing that the other deserves the prize. Getting things done in Europe has historically been a case of minimizing objections and finding the compromise that everyone can back.

On that basis, Vienna may be home to more than VTB one day.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Chris Hughes in London at chughes89@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:

The Austrian capital has one key advantage over Paris and Frankfurt.


Man Places 4 Tomatoes Slices In A Pot Of Soil. A Few Days Later, The Result Is Stunning

A man didn’t know what to do with his overripe tomatoes. He was about to throw them away, but then he discovered a way to use them to produce stunning results.

Overripe tomatoes are the kinds you would want to toss out, but this man realized he could make new tomatoes by placing them into a pot of soil. It might sound like a crazy idea, but you can grow new tomatoes within a week by following his method. All you need is soil, a pot, and 1 overripe tomato. That’s it!

First, slice the tomato into four pieces. Then, place them in a pot of soil. Sprinkle a bit of soil on top. One week later, the tomato will transform into beautiful seedlings. Over time, the seedlings will multiply and pretty soon you will have a number of delicious, fresh tomatoes to eat.

Stop buying tomatoes. Here’s how to grow an endless supply of tomatoes right at home

A tomato plant grows. SHOCKING! Video showing the process in comments. #StopClickBait


"@HuffingtonPost: Hayden Panettiere's engagement ring is worth HOW MUCH?! "

Hayden Panettiere finally confirmed the news that she's engaged to on-again beau, Wladimir Klitschko ... and now she's eager to flash her massive engagement ring.

The "Nashville" star displayed her huge diamond while returning to the Trump Soho Hotel in New York on Oct. 9, kindly greeting fans after announcing her big news on "Live! With Kelly and Michael." The 24-year-old was all smiles, and there's reason for it -- her ring is allegedly worth $500,000. (Yes, $500,000).

According to E! News, Chris Capri of Capri Jewelry Inc. estimates the ring to be around 6 carats.

"The diamond is an emerald cut, which automatically requires a very high clarity grade," he explains. "The ring looks to be rose gold with a split-shank setting."

Panettiere and her much-older and taller fiance -- Klitschko is 37 and 6 feet 6 inches -- first began dating in 2009, but split in May 2011. They rekindled their romance in the spring of 2013 and have been together ever since.

"It’s like the 2.0 version," Panettiere told Glamour in April. "I’ve always had great relationships and stayed really good friends with the guys I’ve dated."

Hayden Panettiere's Engagement Ring Allegedly Costs $500,000

Hayden Panettiere finally confirmed the news that she's engaged to on-again beau, Wladimir Klitschko ... and now she's eager to flash her massiv...

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