Thursday, September 1
Ancient Methane Release
A group of scientists this week said they have discovered new evidence of how methane deposits stored deep in the seafloor can break free — and they are now trying to figure out what this could mean for our climate future.
The research published Monday suggests a major destabilization of seafloor methane off the coast of Africa around 125,000 years ago, after a global shift in currents warmed the middle depths of the ocean there by 6.8 degrees Celsius, or 12.2 degrees Fahrenheit — a massive rise.
Several scientists who reviewed the study said they weren’t ready to raise major alarms about the planet’s ample stores of subsea methane in the form of what are called hydrates.
While most experts agree that this methane could cause tremendous warming if it somehow hits the atmosphere, many say that the gas would be unleashed only slowly as the planet warms, and that the ocean itself would protect us by absorbing most methane before it can escape to the air.
Still, the new findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, underscore how little we still know about how the planet will respond to our uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions — and how unpredictable that response may be.
The new sample of sediment unearthed from the seafloor paints a picture of tumultuous events during a period of Earth’s history around 125,000 years ago, called the Eemian.
Still, the new findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, underscore how little we still know about how the planet will respond to our uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions — and how unpredictable that response may be.
The new sample of sediment unearthed from the seafloor paints a picture of tumultuous events during a period of Earth’s history around 125,000 years ago, called the Eemian.
The era has often stirred scientists’ fears about the future, for while the Earth was not much warmer than it is today, seas were 20 feet or more higher. Some suspect the West Antarctic ice sheet may have collapsed at that time — and a few have even postulated superstorms powerful enough to lift boulders atop cliffs in the Bahamas. READ MORE...
Largest Crock in the World
The largest crocodile in the world, the estuarine crocodile, or “saltie,” is 22 feet long and can weigh up to 2,200 pounds. Other crocodile species include the dwarf crocodile, which is less than six feet long, and the saltwater crocodile.
The warmer tropical waters of the Southern Hemisphere’s wetland ecosystems are home to a range of crocodile species. Because they are unable to control their body temperature inside, they rely largely on the sun to rewarm their bodies after they have submerged themselves in water to chill them.
That brings us to the beautiful country of Australia. While the country down under is known for animals such as koalas and kangaroos, one crocodile seems to stand out. Meet Dominator. Dominator, a 20-foot crocodile that weighs more than a metric ton, is reputedly the second-largest crocodile ever seen.
Australia’s saltwater croc populations are expanding, and the Adelaide River is one of the nation’s densely populated regions. Images of a massive crocodile ripping a pig in half before eating it made headlines throughout the world last year.
In comparison to Lolong, who is held captive in the Philippines, he is only three inches shorter. He was caught in 2011, and at 20 feet three inches long from nose to tail, he is the largest crocodile ever recorded.
This big croc lives in the murky waters of the Adelaide River and likes to show off for tourist boats. While this giant croc will have your jaw on the floor, he’s not the only one in the area. His rival is named Brutus and is ever so slightly smaller than Dominator. One thing’s for sure – you won’t catch me swimming in the Adelaide River. READ MORE...
Wednesday, August 31
Who is Really in Charge?
Why do I say that?
- Wives do the shopping
- Wives take care of the children
- Wives cook the meals
- Wives clean the house and wash clothes
- Wives plan the vacations
- Wives buy the presents and cards for holidays and birthdays
- Wives remember the names of all the inlaws, cousins, and nephews
- Wives take care of all the pets
- Wives write the checks
- Wives balance the check book
Personally, I don't like balancing the check book and I don't like to take the time to pay bills... perhaps I am lazy... so, I have no problem having my wife do all of that. I bring home the money and she spends as she sees fit... however, if I want to buy something then I want to be able to that without any resistence.
BUT, all that does is serve to give the spouse the power... still, making those decisions is not that important anyway... it is not like we're investing in stocks and don't know what we're doing.
As I get older, I find myself depending more and more on my wife to take care of stuff... and, my back surgery really tested her having to do stuff that I used to do... and, quite honestly, it has put an enormous strain on her both mentally and physically...
However, I am not unusual and most marriages are controlled by the female whether the males agrees or whether on not it is appreciated. It just happens.
This does not mean that females are better than males... it just means that females are better at managing marriages and households than males and we need to accept that.
Perspectives
If you are sitting or standing on the ground and look up and see an airplane flying by... it appears that the airplane is moving across the sky quickly... BUT, if you were in that airplane looking down at yourself looking up at this airplane crossing the sky, it would appear to you that the airplane is not really moving that fast at all.
How can this be?
This is the relativity theory in action as developed in the mind of Albert Einstein while spending a little time by himself just thinking.
From a writing or artistic point-of-view, this is considered to be perspective and how when you look off into the distance, objects that you see look like they are getting smaller and smaller the farther out you can see.
Perspective is what happens when two people have an argument or disagreement... it is because their perspectives don't align themselves together. For instance: some might see a glass containing liquid as being either HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY... so, who is right? who is wrong?
Some people might see liberals as saviors while others might see them as lunatics. Some people might see conservatives as deplorables others might see them leaders.
Our perspectives are different and so much so that currently the United States is divided 50/50 because our perspectives differ... sounds simple but it is hurting the nation because neither side is willing to compromise so that we can move forward.
And, if the midterms put the conservatives back in power then they will undo everything that the liberal put into place and the nation as a whole moves back to square one.
The only people who benefit from this nonsense are the wealthy.
Last Day of August
For me, summer is June - July - August and once September gets here, we begin the Fall Season which lasts through November and Thanksgiving.
For me, winter is December - January - February - March (but only half of March)...
For me, spring is March (the last half) - April - May...
Nice clean seasons regardless of Global Warming or Climate Change or going GREEN...
Changing the seasons is relatively studid in my opinion and shows just how silly some of the book educated intellectuals can be.
Spanish Stonehenge Emerges out of Water
Last week we told you about the flurry of recent coverage resurfacing 2018 news stories about the re-emergence of so-called "hunger stones" due to extreme drought conditions in Europe.
We also noted that Europe is once again in the midst of a historically severe drought. Now an ancient site known as the "Spanish Stonehenge"—submerged underwater by a reservoir for decades—has been fully exposed for the second time since 2019 due to low water levels in the reservoir.
The site is also known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, a circular grouping of 150 large vertical granite stones (called orthostats) dating back to between 2000 and 3000 BCE. However, some artifacts recovered at the site suggest it might have been used even earlier.
The site is also known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, a circular grouping of 150 large vertical granite stones (called orthostats) dating back to between 2000 and 3000 BCE. However, some artifacts recovered at the site suggest it might have been used even earlier.
A team led by German archaeologist Hugo Obermaier discovered the monument in 1926 near a town called Peraleda de la Mata.
Among the recovered artifacts were 11 axes, flint knives, ceramics, and a copper punch. A nearby settlement likely housed the people who built the monument, given the presence of houses, charcoal and ash stains, pottery, and stones to hone axes.
Among the recovered artifacts were 11 axes, flint knives, ceramics, and a copper punch. A nearby settlement likely housed the people who built the monument, given the presence of houses, charcoal and ash stains, pottery, and stones to hone axes.
Obermaier restored some of the granite stones to their rightful places and made reproductions of the engravings, which were published in 1960. READ MORE...
Giant Tortoise Not Extinct
Fernanda, the only known living Fernandina giant tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus, or
“fantastic giant tortoise”), now lives at the Galápagos National Park’s Giant Tortoise
Breeding Center on Santa Cruz Island. Credit: The Galápagos Conservancy
Stephen Gaughran, a geneticist at Princeton University, has verified that “Fernanda” is related to a tortoise that was taken from Fernandina Island more than a century ago and that both of them are genetically distinct from all other Galápagos tortoises.
A tortoise from a Galápagos species that was long thought to be extinct has been discovered alive. The tortoise is the first of her kind to be discovered in more than a century and has been given the name Fernanda after her home on Fernandina Island.
A single specimen of the Fernandina Island Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus, or “fantastic giant tortoise”) was discovered in 1906. The chance to ascertain if the species is still alive came with the discovery of a female tortoise on Fernandina Island in 2019.
Stephen Gaughran from Princeton University demonstrated that the two known Fernandina tortoises are members of the same species and genetically distinct from other members by sequencing the genomes of both the living individual and the museum specimen and comparing them to the other 13 species of Galápagos giant tortoises. He co-authored a recent paper in the journal Communications Biology that established the survival of her species.
“For many years it was thought that the original specimen collected in 1906 had been transplanted to the island, as it was the only one of its kind,” said Peter Grant, Princeton’s Class of 1877 Professor of Zoology, Emeritus and an emeritus professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who has spent more than 40 years studying evolution in the Galápagos islands. “It now seems to be one of a very few that were alive a century ago.” READ MORE...
Killing Hard to Treat Cancers
The new compound called ERX-41 kills a broad spectrum of hard-to-treat cancers.
A new molecule created by a researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas kills a variety of difficult-to-treat cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, by taking advantage of a weakness in cells that was not previously targeted by existing drugs.
The research, which was conducted using isolated cells, human cancer tissue, and mouse-grown human cancers, was recently published in Nature Cancer.
A co-corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Texas at Dallas, Dr. Jung-Mo Ahn has dedicated more than ten years of his career to developing small molecules that target protein-protein interactions in cells. He previously created potential therapeutic candidate compounds for treatment-resistant prostate cancer and breast cancer using a method called structure-based rational drug design.
In the current work, Ahn and his colleagues tested a novel compound he synthesized called ERX-41 for its effects against breast cancer cells, both those that contain estrogen receptors (ERs) and those that do not. While there are effective treatments available for patients with ER-positive breast cancer, there are few treatment options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2. TNBC generally affects women under 40 and has poorer outcomes than other types of breast cancer. READ MORE...
Tuesday, August 30
Life Without Petroleum Crude Oil
A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items)
(A note to readers: This list came from a print publication in 1974. We failed to identify the source document and have been unable to find a list of the “6,000 items” since. In fact, since 1974 there have been hundreds of additional items replaced with plastic duplicates, medical syringes for example. So should you wish to find the complete list of products made from petroleum you will most likely have to compose it yourself.)
One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like:
Solvents Diesel fuel Motor Oil Bearing Grease
Ink Floor Wax Ballpoint Pens Football Cleats
Upholstery Sweaters Boats Insecticides
Bicycle Tires Sports Car Bodies Nail Polish Fishing lures
Dresses Tires Golf Bags Perfumes
Cassettes Dishwasher parts Tool Boxes Shoe Polish
Motorcycle Helmet Caulking Petroleum Jelly Transparent Tape
CD Player Faucet Washers Antiseptics Clothesline
Curtains Food Preservatives Basketballs Soap
Vitamin Capsules Antihistamines Purses Shoes
Dashboards Cortisone Deodorant Shoelace Aglets
Putty Dyes Panty Hose Refrigerant
Percolators Life Jackets Rubbing Alcohol Linings
Skis TV Cabinets Shag Rugs Electrician’s Tape
Tool Racks Car Battery Cases Epoxy Paint
Mops Slacks Insect Repellent Oil Filters
Umbrellas Yarn Fertilizers Hair Coloring
Roofing Toilet Seats Fishing Rods Lipstick
Denture Adhesive Linoleum Ice Cube Trays Synthetic Rubber
Speakers Plastic Wood Electric Blankets Glycerin
Tennis Rackets Rubber Cement Fishing Boots Dice
Nylon Rope Candles Trash Bags House Paint
Water Pipes Hand Lotion Roller Skates Surf Boards
Shampoo Wheels Paint Rollers Shower Curtains
Guitar Strings Luggage Aspirin Safety Glasses
Antifreeze Football Helmets Awnings Eyeglasses
Clothes Toothbrushes Ice Chests Footballs
Combs CD’s & DVD’s Paint Brushes Detergents
Vaporizers Balloons Sun Glasses Tents
Heart Valves Crayons Parachutes Telephones
Enamel Pillows Dishes Cameras
Anesthetics Artificial Turf Artificial limbs Bandages
Dentures Model Cars Folding Doors Hair Curlers
Cold cream Movie film Contact lenses Drinking Cups
Fan Belts Car Enamel Shaving Cream Ammonia
Refrigerators Golf Balls Toothpaste Gasoline
This is a frigging long list of items and it is incomplete... SO, it is going to be impossible for us to eliminate the use of Petroleum Cruse Oil and replace it with GREEN ENERGY... Those who think we can have their heads up their virtual green asses...
First Female Viking Grave
A mountain hiker in Jämtland, in central Sweden, on his way camping in Kalffällen, made a surprising discovery.
The discovery excited archaeologists in Sweden. Mountain hiker Eskil Nyström discovered a brooch 1 year ago. Nyströn discovered something strange sticking up from the ground as he was erecting and securing his tent.
“My first thought was that I had found a mine, but then when I had dug around, I understood that it can’t be, Eskil Nyström told TT.
It has now turned out to be a 1200-year-old brooch, possibly the first female tomb from the Viking Age found in the Swedish mountains.
Eskil Nyström brought the brooch home and asked around, but no one knew what it was or where it came from. One year later, he made contact with the museum Jamtli in Östersund and realized the archaeological and historical significance of the brooch he had discovered.
Archaeologist Anders Hansson in Jamtli examined the find site for the first time Wednesday morning. There they found soot and burnt bones. Hansson also found another oval brooch which is not much of a surprise because such pins are usually unearthed in pairs. READ MORE...
Luxury Estate From the Islamic Period
ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM THE ISRAEL ANTIQUES AUTHORITY (IAA) HAVE UNCOVERED A LUXURY ESTATE THAT DATES FROM THE ISLAMIC PERIOD.
The team made the discovery during works to build a new neighbourhood in the city of Rahat in the Negev desert, located in Southern Israel.
The region was formerly ruled by the Al-Tayaha tribe (Al-Hezeel clan), a Negev Bedouin people that settled in the Sinai Peninsula during the early years of the Muslim conquests.
Archaeologists found a large estate with a central courtyard that sits on a vaulted complex and a three-metre-deep rock-hewn water cistern which dates to the Early Islamic period from the 8th to 9th century AD.
The estate has four wings, in which one of the wings has a hall paved with a marble and stone floor and walls decorated with frescoes using finely coloured red, yellow, blue, and black pigments.
Some of the other rooms had plaster floors and large ovens for cooking, while fragments of delicate glass serving dishes have also been uncovered.
“The luxurious estate and the impressive underground vaults are evidence of the owners’ means. Their high status and wealth allowed them to build a luxurious mansion that served as a residence and for entertaining”, said the excavation directors – Oren Shmueli, Dr. Elena Kogan-Zehavi and Dr. Noé D. Michael. READ MORE...
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