Planet Nine

Alma Approved

Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology have given overwhelming mathematical evidence suggesting that there is a Neptune-sized planet that lurks behind Pluto (which is totally a planet and no one can tell us differently). It’s great that we’re always pushing ourselves to discover more and more about the universe we live in, and new discoveries like this are always really exciting! Well done, CIT!

Cleveland Cavaliers fire Head Coach David Blatt

DI Denied

Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach David Blatt remains a legendary basketball coach in Europe, but many questioned whether he would be able to command a group of NBA players with similar authority when he was hired in 2014. After a season in which his team lost in the NBA finals to one of the best teams ever, last season’s Golden State Warriors, Blatt’s Cavaliers were leading the Eastern Conference in 2016 with a 30-11 record as of yesterday. Yet for some reason, Cleveland fired Blatt on Friday afternoon. Team chemistry issues were later cited as the primary reason, but any time you’re firing a coach with the seventh-best career record in NBA history, you’re likely making a mistake. Blatt will be replaced 

New Fear Drug

Alma Approved

Merel Kindt, a University of Amsterdam psychology professor, and her associates have seemingly created a therapy involving a beta-blocker drug called propranolol that has been shown, through single-blind tests on arachnophobes, to significantly decrease, or even eliminate fear responses when exposed to spiders. We can’t help but imagine how many people across the world with phobias, anxiety and PTSD that this new therapy could help. We’re very excited for a possible world in the future where people don’t need to be afraid.