HAL says hi

I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave: Voyager 2, an unmanned spacecraft launched in 1977, is now 8.6 billion miles from Earth, but it’s sending data in a format that NASA can’t decode.

NASA’s blaming an attempt by the Borg Collective to upgrade Voyager 2 from Vista to Windows 7.

  • You’re doing it wrong: An AARP study says that more Americans 45 and older are open to sex outside of marriage. In 1999, 41 percent said nonmarital sex was wrong, a figure that dropped to 22 percent in the new survey.

    A similar survey found that 93 percent of Americans under the age of 30 believed that sex, inside or outside of marriage, was wrong for anyone over 45.

  • Yabba-dabba-doo: Genetic research shows that most Europeans and Asians get between 1 percent and 4 percent of their genes from Neanderthals who lived 30,000 to 50,000 years ago, suggesting that interbreeding occurred between Homo sapiens and their thicker-browed cousins.

    Coincidentally, archeologists recently discovered a 30,000-year-old study by PARHS (the Pleistocene Association of Retired Homo Sapiens), that showed modern man had become more open to sex outside of species.

    Talk to us

    > Give us your news tips.

    > Send us a letter to the editor.

    > More Herald contact information.

  • More in Opinion

    toon
    Editorial cartoons for Thursday, May 15

    A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

    Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Air Force One touches ground Friday morning at Boeing in Everett.
PHOTO SHOT 02172012
    Editorial: There’s no free lunch and no free Air Force One

    Qatar’s offer of a 747 to President Trump solves nothing and leaves the nation beholden.

    Comment: Governor should veto change to mortgage interest deduction

    A provision in state tax legislation would increase mortgage costs for families buying homes.

    Comment: Fair’s fair; kids get 3 dolls, Trump wants 3 jets

    Trump’s tariffs require austerity from Americans, except when Trump sees a shinier aircraft on the tarmac.

    Comment: Welcome South African refugees, yes, but Afghans, too

    There has been no good explanation why Afrikaners are admitted, when so many others are turned away.

    Goldberg: Is RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement suffering irony deficiency

    His pick for surgeon general is faltering because she isn’t attacking vaccines earnestly enough.

    Comment: Nonprofits filling gap left by federal cuts isn’t answer

    Relying solely on donors to fulfill needs means providers no longer are accountable to the people.

    toon
    Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, May 14

    A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

    The Washington State Legislature convenes for a joint session for a swearing-in ceremony of statewide elected officials and Governor Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address, March 15, 2025.
    Editorial: 4 bills that need a second look by state lawmakers

    Even good ideas, such as these four bills, can fail to gain traction in the state Legislature.

    Welch: Local elections work best when voters prepare for task

    With ballots set, now’s the time to study issues and ask candidates where they stand and what they’ll do.

    Comment: U.S., China had no choice but to seek tariff offramp

    Neither will admit market forces and public opinion aren’t with them. A 90-day pause was the best option.

    Harrop: Lack of SALT deal could doom GOP’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    A handful of Republicans, concerned for their seats, want a tax deduction key to high-tax blue states

    Support local journalism

    If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.