fact or fiction
Is it a fact or is it merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the lesser known truths in the corporate culture of Journal.
An Unforgettable Educational Tour
An educational tour is a journey where students visit places of historical, cultural, or educational importance. It is a way to learn not only through books but also through real-world experiences. Although I haven’t gone on many such tours in my life, the educational trip I took in Grade 10 is one I will always remember. It was more than just an ordinary school program—it was a perfect mix of learning, fun, and friendship.
By Aarogya Neupane9 months ago in Journal
Is Donald Trump the next Pope?
The US President, Donald Trump, has expressed a desire to become the Pope.The supreme religious leader of the Catholic faith. He stated, "I want to be Pope." Following the death of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Christians, the Cardinals will elect a new Pope. Approximately 135 Roman Catholic Cardinals from around the world will participate in a secret conclave next May to elect the next Pope. Amidst this, Donald Trump made such a comment.
By M.A.Rahman9 months ago in Journal
Israel–Gaza Conflict Escalates
The conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has intensified dramatically, following a declaration by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government plans to launch a large-scale military operation. The proposed campaign, which includes the relocation of civilians within Gaza “for their protection,” has raised alarm globally and sparked heated debate across diplomatic and humanitarian circles.
By Masood Zahid9 months ago in Journal
Planet Discovered Orbiting a Star Speeding Out of the Galaxy at 1.2 Million MPH
A cosmic ballet is always going on in the Milky Way's vast expanse of stars. The core of the galaxy is pirouetted by billions upon billions of stars, each one a potential sun for undiscovered worlds. However, every now and then, a dancer will break free, not gracefully but violently and thrillingly. This is the situation with a newly discovered star and its companion planet, a system that is hurtling through space at a staggering 1.2 million miles per hour and may be leaving our galaxy in one direction. This isn't the gentle drift of stars in their orbits; this is a cosmic expulsion, a slingshot maneuver of epic proportions. Through the delicate warping of spacetime, a phenomenon known as gravitational microlensing, the low-mass dwarf star and its likely companion, a planet of super-Neptune's size, were first subtly hinted at over a decade ago. It was like spotting a fleeting shadow, like spotting a brief arc in the light from a star farther away that hinted at an unseen object passing in front of it. For years, that fleeting signal remained a puzzle. Was it a rogue planet that was lost and alone in the void between stars, perhaps with a moon attached? Or was it something entirely different? The data from ground-based telescopes like Keck and the Gaia satellite of the European Space Agency were combined to produce the answer, which was found through persistent observation and sophisticated analysis. Astronomers were able to confirm the incredible speed and trajectory of a suspect star by meticulously following its minute movement over a decade. This is not just any fast-moving star; it has a velocity that is close to or even higher than the Milky Way's escape velocity. Imagine the immense gravitational pull of our galaxy, a cosmic anchor binding hundreds of billions of stars. A powerful kick that sends an object hurtling into the intergalactic void is all it takes to break free from that grip. A violent encounter with the supermassive black hole in our galaxy's center, Sagittarius A*, is the most plausible explanation for these high speeds. In this dramatic scenario, a binary star system – two stars orbiting each other – could have strayed too close to the black hole's immense gravity. One star would be thrown inward toward the black hole by the tidal forces, while the other, now a "hypervelocity star," would be ejected outward at a tremendous speed. The fact that this ejected star was able to hold onto its planet during such a violent event is what makes this discovery so remarkable. It speaks to the resilience of planetary systems and the complex gravitational interactions that can occur in the crowded galactic core. The planet itself is thought to be a "super-Neptune," a world larger than Neptune but smaller than Jupiter. It orbits its star at a relatively close distance, comparable to where Venus or Earth orbit our Sun in our own solar system. However, given the low mass of its star, this planet is not considered to be in the habitable zone. The discovery of this runaway planetary system opens a new window into the dynamics of galactic centers and the fate of planets in extreme environments. It raises concerns regarding the frequency of such ejections and the possibility that other hypervelocity stars may also host planets that quietly transport their families into the gloom between galaxies. While this particular system's journey out of the Milky Way will take millions of years, its discovery serves as a powerful reminder of the dynamic and sometimes violent processes shaping our universe, and the incredible resilience of planetary systems even in the face of cosmic chaos. A tiny world clinging to its star as they embark on an epic journey beyond the familiar spiral arms of our own galaxy is the subject of this tale of survival against all odds.
By Mehedi Hasan 9 months ago in Journal
The Untold Sides of 'The Hobbit Trilogy'
Th The globally acclaimed fantasy saga The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are masterpieces by J.R.R. Tolkien. Brought to life on the silver screen by director Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings trilogy focused on Frodo Baggins of the Shire. A decade later came its prequel, The Hobbit Trilogy, with Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins taking center stage. Though it didn’t quite match The Lord of the Rings in success, The Hobbit Trilogy was fairly well-received. Today’s piece explores some lesser-known facts about The Hobbit Trilogy, which is set 77 years before The Lord of the Rings. 1. Tolkien started drafting The Hobbit around 1928. This means the story predates The Lord of the Rings and serves as its prequel. Interestingly, Tolkien had left the story half-finished. A student of his, Elaine Griffith, brought the unfinished manuscript to a publisher friend, who was highly impressed. Upon Griffith’s encouragement, Tolkien completed the tale. Hence, she played a crucial role in bringing Middle-earth’s enchanting fantasy to the world. 2. In 1994, director Peter Jackson wanted to adapt The Hobbit into a film after being inspired by the 1978 animated The Lord of the Rings. His original plan was to follow up with two Lord of the Rings films. However, due to creative differences with the production house Miramax, the project stalled. Eventually, New Line Cinema stepped in, helping bring both trilogies to the big screen.
By Riham Rahman 9 months ago in Journal
The Untold Aspects of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Pt.2
Last part 8. Avatar (2009) drew significant inspiration from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. How? Let’s explain. In 1994, James Cameron had already completed about 80% of the conceptual work for Avatar. However, due to the limitations of visual effects at the time, he didn’t feel confident enough to begin production. Lacking advanced CGI and VFX, he decided to wait patiently for technological advancements. In 2002, after witnessing the CGI and motion capture used for Gollum in The Two Towers, Cameron was blown away. He realized the time had finally come to bring his dream project to life. And so, he jumped in headfirst to make it happen.
By Riham Rahman 9 months ago in Journal
The Untold Aspects of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Pt.1
Imagine a group of friends deep in discussion about the greatest fantasy franchises in the world. Naturally, names like Harry Potter, The Witcher, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Narnia, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Marvel/DC Comics would come up. However, one name that must also be mentioned is J.R.R. Tolkien's immortal creation — The Lord of the Rings. Whether in books or on the silver screen, this franchise remains unforgettable. Formed with a unique blend of friendship, love, vengeance, lust for power, magic, and diverse races, the fantasy of this franchise can easily rival reality. In 2001, renowned director Peter Jackson brought this trilogy to the big screen with the first installment The Fellowship of the Ring. It garnered immense acclaim from critics and audiences alike, essentially immortalizing the franchise. This article dives into some lesser-known aspects of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 1. The Production Struggle Initially, it was decided that the film would be produced under the Miramax production house, split into two parts. However, due to budget constraints, the studio informed Peter Jackson that the entire story must be condensed into a single film. Knowing this would result in a disaster due to the vast plot, Jackson stood firm. Eventually, New Line Cinema, under Warner Bros., came forward to realize the dream, greenlighting the full trilogy. 2. Casting Surprises Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, originally wanted to play the powerful wizard Gandalf. He was the only cast member who had read the entire book series multiple times—every year, in fact—and even memorized large portions. A true fan of the franchise, he was also the only cast member to have ever met J.R.R. Tolkien. Upon hearing that a film adaptation was in the works, he personally wrote to Peter Jackson requesting to play Gandalf. However, Jackson suggested he take the role of Saruman instead. Interestingly, Scottish actor Sean Connery was offered the role of Gandalf and even promised 15% of the total box office revenue. But he declined, saying he couldn't grasp the complexity of the character. Eventually, the role went to Sir Ian McKellen, who brought Gandalf to life brilliantly. For the role of Aragorn, actors like Nicolas Cage, Stuart Townsend, and Russell Crowe were approached but declined. Ultimately, it went to Viggo Mortensen. American actor Jake Gyllenhaal auditioned for Frodo, but Elijah Wood was chosen instead. 3. Helicopter Fear on Set Sean Bean, who played Boromir, had a severe fear of helicopters. The mountain scenes in the first film were shot in New Zealand, and most cast and crew were flown in by helicopter. But Bean refused to fly, so he would hike for nearly two hours to reach the shooting location. As a result, the entire crew had to wait for him every day on the mountain. 4. Differences Between the Book and the Film While four hobbits accompany Frodo in the films, there were five in the book. The missing one was Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger, who stayed behind in the Shire. He played a role in defending the Shire when Saruman attacked later. He briefly appears in the extended cut. Sauron is only shown as a giant eye atop a tower in the films, but in the book, he has a full physical description. His hunt for the One Ring was aimed at world domination. While the film shows Frodo setting out shortly after Bilbo gives him the ring, in the book, his journey begins 17 years later. Saruman’s death also differs. In the book, after the ring is destroyed in Mount Doom, the hobbits return to find that Saruman has taken over the Shire. They fight him, and eventually, Gríma Wormtongue kills Saruman by slitting his throat in a place called the Scouring of the Shire. 5. Epic Runtime Binge-watching this trilogy is no easy task. Each movie runs for nearly 3.75 hours on average. The original theatrical cuts total 9 hours and 18 minutes, while the extended editions stretch to an astounding 11 hours and 55 minutes — a record-setting runtime for a trilogy. 6. Groundbreaking Effects When the first film was released in 2001, CGI and VFX were just emerging technologies. Many new techniques debuted in this trilogy. To maintain realism, the director heavily used practical elements. Astonishingly, around 18,000 costumes were used, with 30–40 duplicates for each main character. There were also 2,000 unique weapons and about 10,000 arrows used, along with nearly 300 horses. The differences in character heights were achieved using clever camera angles and new visual effects. 7. Editing Nightmare The three films were released in 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively. The editing team was pushed to their limits managing such large-scale productions. At one point, editing for The Fellowship of the Ring had just finished while The Two Towers was in production, and footage for The Return of the King was already being cut. Even after the theatrical release of the final movie, Peter Jackson shot additional scenes for the extended edition.
By Riham Rahman 9 months ago in Journal
Polish Wind
Introduction This is another Seven Days in piece that was getting a lot of traction, and it is a bit all over the place, but I thought it is relevant to writers about the difficulties of the English language that make it so brilliant to write with.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 9 months ago in Journal
