Oceans Release Microplastics into Atmosphere

During stormy weather, sea spray can carry microplastics into the air. The photo was taken during a trip of the research vessel Heincke off the Norwegian coast in June 2021. Credit: Alvise Vianello



New research identifies the composition and origins of the microplastics.

Microplastic particles can be found in the marine atmosphere, even in the world’s most isolated regions. These minuscule particles originate from land but are also released back into the atmosphere from the ocean, according to a study led by Dr. Barbara Scholz-Böttcher of the University of Oldenburg, with collaboration from German and Norwegian researchers. The team studied air samples from several locations on the Norwegian coast extending to the Arctic. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

“With our study, we present data on the mass load of different types of plastic in the marine atmosphere for the first time,” said Isabel Goßmann, a doctoral candidate at the University of Oldenburg’s Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) and first author of the paper. The research team collected the samples during an expedition with the Research Vessel Heincke in 2021.

The northernmost destination was Bear Island, the most southerly island of the Svalbard archipelago which lies halfway between the mainland and the archipelago’s largest island, Spitsbergen. The team used two different devices to collect air samples. The devices actively pumped in the air and were mounted on the bow of the research vessel at a height of twelve meters.

Different types of plastics identified
The scientists analyzed the air samples using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. With this method, they were able to identify and quantify the different types of plastics in the atmosphere through thermal degradation and selective analysis. They then performed model calculations and reconstructed the sources and distribution paths of the particles, each of which is just a few thousandths of a millimeter in size.

The analysis revealed the omnipresence of polyester particles. Polyethylene terephthalate particles, which presumably entered the atmosphere in the form of textile fibers, were detected in all samples. Other plastic types were also present, including polypropylene polycarbonate and polystyrene.    READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Buy Only What You Need

 I drive a 2015 Venza that I bought used in 2016.  It had been leased and only have 4,500 miles on the odometer.  The purchase price was several thousand dollars less than if I had purchased it new.  The vehicle has about 85,000 miles on it now, so I have been adding about 10,000 each year.  

I have all the regular maintenance performed exactly when it is indicated, and I have an oil change every 10,000 mile and rotate the tires every other oil change.  I am sure that it will last another 5 years, but I would like to keep it until it reaches 150,000 miles on the odometer.

I have a policy not to buy new cars when you can get a year-old car (if you look around) much cheaper and just as good.

Why do I want to do that?

To make my money last as long as it can...   I buy only that which I need, not that which I just want.

I have 12 pairs of shoes that I hardly ever wear, if at all, simply because I wanted them but did not need them.  The same holds true for baseball caps, T-shirts, short pants, as well as long pants, and jackets.

How many jackets can one wear at one time?  They are not even color coordinated with my winter clothes.

During my working career, I purchased 10 or more suits, numerous dress shirts and ties that I wore to work.  I am sure I could have gotten away with just 2-3 but I simply wanted more.  I gave all my suits away to Habitat for Humanity to sell and just kept 1 suit and one dress jacket in case I ever needed them for a funeral or something.

The money I spent on stuff I did not need, could have been invested to grow my retirement funds.  Once you realize that you are wasting money by spending it needlessly, then you an adjust your buying habits.

If you are wealthy and have money to burn, then spend away...

What I find really humorous is all the TV commercials are basically marketing ads trying to get you to buy stuff that you don't really need.  These commercials air around TV Shows that show the characters wearing the same clothes over and over again.

I remember one law enforcement show, where the lead detective wore the same leather jacket in every single episode.  You never saw him in another jacket even when he was not working.  You would think that he would have several jackets to wear...  but no, he wore only one...   I wonder why?

Helping

 

The Wealthy Account For 40% of All Emission

The richest 10 percent of U.S. households are responsible for 40 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study released Thursday in PLOS Climate. 

The study, which looked at how a household’s income generated emissions, underlines the stark divide between those who benefit most from fossil fuels and those who are most burdened by its effects.


People often think of their carbon footprint in terms of consumption, such as how they get to work or what they eat, but that provides an incomplete view of who is responsible for a lot of greenhouse gas activity, said Jared Starr, lead author of the study.


Many of the ways people earn money are also linked to carbon pollution, including from how and where they earn their wages to where they invest parts of their income. These investments, especially if linked with fossil fuel-related industries, can seriously tip who is most responsible for the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, said Starr.  READ MORE...

Oliver Anthony

 

Everything Has Been Planned Out

All of us, from time to time, question the direction into which our lives have taken, wondering what might have happened if we had made different choices.

Personally, I have wondered if sports would have taken me to the professional level.  I have wondered if my artistic talents might have given me a career as an artist.  I have wondered if I had followed my childhood interests and become an architect, would I have found that a fulfilling career.

This looking back is a mistake and could sometimes be mentally dangerous thinking our current life is not what it was supposed to be.  The reality of thinking like this is that our CURRENT LIFE is exactly what our life should be...  otherwise, it would have been something different.

What that means is that we made the choices we were supposed to have made...  and, no mistakes have been made.  Therefore, when you think what if, you are not just questioning or trying to second guess yourself, but more importantly, you are telling yourself that the life you currently have is one that you should not have.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

If you were supposed to have had a different life, then you would have had a different life.

When you think about what I just said, then you can easily come to the conclusion that someone else or something else has been controlling your life and the direction of your life.

Who could that possibly be?

Am I talking about God?

If you want to call this thing God you can.  Something is controlling your life by watching your life unfold and putting things in your way so that you are forced to make different choices.

Think about this for a minute or two...  then think about your birth...  how come YOU were born to your parents and not someone else?  You did not choose your parents nor did you choose the location of your birth.  Then, who did choose?

Earth and all the animals and human beings that live on earth are part of an elaborate experiment...  how do I know this?

What else could be the explanation for humans to be living on this planet earth in this HUGE UNIVERSE and not somewhere else?  Why earth?  Why here?  Why humans?

Do you really think that this universe just happened because of some BIG BANG?

Where did the materials come from that caused the BIG BANG?  Did they just materialize out of nowhere?

The universe was planned.  Galaxies were planned.  Solar Systems were planned...  and earth was planned...  and, whoever or whatever did the planning is also responsible for how our lives turn out, even though we are the ones who make the choices.

My Generation Silently Watches

Each generation says America has gone to the dogs and they might also say that America is declining.  I remember this is what my parents said when I was a teenager.  They were right in a way about American changing and from their perspective it was for the worst, not better.  But, America survived, prospered, got stronger, and grew.

Today...

I see boys wanting to be girls and girls wanting to be boys.  I see an entire nation pissed off because they perceive that the Federal Government is against abortions.  These people are ignorant.  The government simply believes it is the responsibility of the STATES not the Federal government.

I see a nation divided by politics.  I see a nation divided by race.  I see a nation bending over backwards to accommodate the black minority because they are lazy and blame the whites for their laziness.

I see a nation who has declining education and a healthcare system that revolves around money not healing.  I see one party that is trying to SILENCE the view of the opposition, knowing that one party rule is no longer a Democracy.

I see a nation that claims to be a nation of laws but allows people to violate those laws without prosecution.  I see a nation that is addicted to drugs, pain killers, and other pills so that they will not have to deal with reality.  I see a nation with a fentanyl crisis that the current administration wants to ignore.

Do my observations sound like those of my parents and is this nation going to the dogs...  or is there something far more sinister going on?

American Manufacturing Issues

 Because of my involvement with Total Quality Management, I will NEVER buy another American made vehicle.

At the end of WWII, an American (Dr. Deming) was sent to Japan to help them build their war torn manufacturing base.  He taught them Statistical Process Control and how to systematically remove all the variation from the manufacturing process in order to build a high quality product.

Dr. Deming came back to this country and tried to teach the American car manufacturers the same concept but they refused to listen to him.

American manufacturing produces 2600 out of spec parts per million and Japanese manufacturing produces 1-3 out of spec parts per million.

This is the reason why I will never buy and American made vehicle.

Another reason for this decision is that there is a war waging in American manufacturing between management and labor.  This war revolves around the differences in salaries and it also revolves around the high amount of contempt that management has for labor.  This contempt comes from their lack of education, the way they talk and dress, and the behavior that they display while at work.

Consequently, I believe that labor pays management back by intentionally building less than quality products.

I heard through the grapevine not to buy a vehicle that was made on a Friday or a Monday.  On Fridays, all the worker cares about is the weekend and does not pay attention to their work.  On Mondays, the workers are still hung over from drinking all weekend and do not pay attention to their work.

Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas are all good cars to buy, but the repair costs are high for Nissans and Hondas but reasonable for Toyota.  Therefore, my money will always be spent on Toyota.

Currently, I own a 2015 Venza (top of the line) that I purchased after it had been leased a year.  It had less than 5000 miles on it, so it was like a new car.  Today, it has 85,000 miles on it and drives just like it did when I purchased it.

My next car will be a Toyota or a Lexus, again a leased car will be found.  I will never buy an EV or a hybrid unless they find some way of reducing recharging times and/or the cost of a replacement battery.

Festival in Japan

 

Theory of Gravity Contradicted

Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, an immensely important update to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, is currently our best approximation of how the universe ticks.

But there are some holes in Einstein's theory, including some gravitational weirdness around low acceleration “wide binary” stars.

A new study claims that the behavior of these slow-moving celestial objects can’t be explained by a Newton-Einstein theory, which relies on dark matter, but could be explained with an idea known as Modified Newtonian Dynamics, or MOND.

In 1687, English physicist Isaac Newton published his famous Law of Universal Gravitation. The idea that all objects attract in proportion to their mass was a revolutionary idea that became a huge boon for understanding the ways of the universe. 

But even Newton’s influential work had its limitations—specifically, it couldn’t explain gravitational phenomena such as black holes and gravitational waves. Thankfully, Albert Einstein came around in the early 20th century to help patch things up a bit with his Theory of General Relativity.

But space is a big place, and even Einsteins sometimes meet their limit. One of the most well-known of these limits is a black hole’s center, or singularity, where Einstein’s famous theory appears to break down completely. 

Now, a new study from scientists at South Korea’s Sejong University suggests that another limit to Newton and Einstein’s conception of gravity can be found in the orbital motions of long-period, widely separated, binary stars—also known simply as “wide binaries.” The results of this study were published this month in The Astrophysical Journal.     READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Slow Down Growing Old

 As we get older, we lose physical strength, mental ability, and begin to experience all sorts of aches and pains as our joints begin to wear out.  We are also good candidates for serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and a variety of cancers.

Because our physical strength declines, there is a tendency for us to exercise less while not cutting back on our eating habits, causing weight gain that is difficult to lose at that older age.  My doctors recommend that we start following the Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean lifestyle.

Foods not allowed on the Mediterranean Diet:

1. Red meat.
2. Processed meat and foods.
3. Sweets.
4. Alcohol.
5. Butter.
6. Whole-fat dairy.
7. Sugary drinks.

What is the Mediterranean Lifestyle?
People who adhere to a Mediterranean lifestyle—which includes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; healthy eating habits like limiting added salt and sugars; and habits promoting adequate rest, physical activity, and socialization.  Source:  Harvard University

I am not sure why this is called the Mediterranean Lifestyle because this is the lifestyle that I have been living for the last 30 years.  While this lifestyle was started by me because I quit smoking at age 40, I still had a heart attack and I still got cancer(s), and I still had 5 lumbar disks fused because of spinal stenosis.   

My doctors told me that my health condition would have been worse had I not made this change at age 40...  I am in a position where I have no choice but to believe them.

Over the last few years, my exercising has decreased because of the fatigue and nausea associated with my cancer and its treatments.  I work around the house, but that is not the same thing as walking a mile a day like I used to do.

The Mediterranean Diet/Lifestyle is better for you than other diets or not dieting at all...  and it is widely believed that this lifestyle will slow down the aging process...  but it is not only diet, exercise, and socializing...  one must keep busy as well...  that is not to say busy work but having a hobby.

In addition, mental activity is necessary as well.  This mental activity could come from teaching yourself something new, crossword puzzles, or playing strategy board games.

My hobby and mental activity includes the following:

• maintaining two blogs daily
• writing novels
• writing poetry
• playing chess
• teaching myself theoretical physics

My days pass quickly but I am not bored nor am I anxious looking for something to do.  I eat 3-4 small meals a day, healthy snacks, and sometimes take afternoon naps.  I shower and shave every other day and stay out of direct sunlight in the summer.  

I talk with the neighbors from time-to-time and go shopping with my wife.  I wake up about 8am and go to bed about 9pm.  I eat fish, chicken, beans, veges, rice, and noodles.  I eat eggs once in a while and have an oatmeal cookie or lemon cookie daily to keep me honest on my diet.

Each day is enjoyed and lived as best as I know how to live it.

Peace Candles

 

Turn Asteroid Into a Space Station

The basic idea of turning an asteroid into a rotating space habitat has existed for a while. Despite that, it's always seemed relatively far off regarding technologies, so the concept hasn't received much attention over the years.


But, if you're retired and have an underlying interest in researching space habitats, developing a detailed plan for turning an asteroid into one seems like a great use of time.


And that is precisely what David W. Jensen, a retired Technical Fellow at Rockwell Collins, recently did. He released a 65-page paper that details an easy-to-understand, relatively inexpensive, and feasible plan to turn an asteroid into a space habitat.


Fully diving into the report's details would be far beyond the scope of this article, but we can hit the highlights. Dr. Jensen breaks the discussion into three main categories – asteroid selection, habitat style selection, and mission strategy to get there (i.e., what robots to use). Let's tackle each of them in turn.

Asteroid selection focused on which asteroid would make the best candidate to be transformed into a rotating space habitat. Considerations for this part include what the asteroid is made of, its proximity to Earth (and "delta-V," i.e., how much energy it takes to reach), and its overall size.  READ MORE...

Light is Weird

 

Benefits of SOCIALISM???

1. 
   Free healthcare
   
2. Reduction of poverty
3. A more equal society
4. Selflessness versus Selfishness
5. Government ownership of everything
6. A government for the people
7. A better environment
8. Relatively free housing
9. Free education
10. A potential for full employment

While it may seem like these 10 items (and quite possibly more) are positive, one must also look at the downsides.

First and foremost is that the government does not spend its money on a military and defense, rather it spends its money on the people.

Second, there is more corruption in SOCIALISM than there is in a DEMOCRACY although many would argue that point of view.

Third, there is no incentive to get better...  for instance, in socialism, being a teacher, I would take away A and B grades and give them to students with D and F grades so that everyone got a C regardless of effort.

Fourth, employees would get paid regardless of their productivity.  Therefore, there would be no incentive to increase productivity.  That mindset would lead to SHORTAGES.

Fifth, none of the people would have a voice in how the government was being managed.

Is this the kind of society in which you would like to live? 

If it is, then you are in the right place, because the US government is moving in this direction. However, I suggest that you investigate further what it is like to live under socialism...  and, then see if this is what you really want.

Is Democracy the Best Form of Government?

 If you look at the great philosophers and read their opinions, you get the idea that a democracy is not the best form of government.

Socrates and Plato were AGAINST DEMOCRACY as being the best form of government.  Instead, they preferred to be ruled by a totalitarian form of government where the rulers had been educated in ruling before they assume absolute power.

On the other side of the coin, freedoms like freedom of speech and freedom of religion DO NOT EXIST in a totalitarian form of government.

SO...

should government be for the people or for themselves?

In a democracy, people not only have freedoms but they decide on who will be leading them...  oftentimes, the person they chose to lead them has no idea how to lead or even how to manage all the various agencies of government, let alone interface effectively with all the states and their local governments.

THEREFORE...

we have a trade off...

good leadership and no freedoms

OR

mediocre leadership and freedoms

Personally, I do not believe that I would be willing to give up my freedoms for the sake of good leadership...  knowing that the leadership that we currently have does not give a rat's ass about the people.

Following that train of thought...  I strongly believe that OUR CONGRESS, both Democrats and Republicans, don't really care about the people.  All they care about is getting re-elected.  So, they vote for policies and laws that we get them re-elected rather than what is good for the people who put them into office.

Over the years, those qualities in politicians have lead to a HUGE APATHY among American Voters...  many of whom refuse to vote at all since it makes little difference.

Our Global Economy

1.  What is in our future regarding the Global Economy?
2. China wants to be the global economic leader replacing the USA...
3. India and China will have the two large populations in the world in the next couple of years...
4. AI/Robots will replace global workers and global militaries...
5. Medical advancements will enable global people to live longer...
6. Classroom education will change to online education as the internets expands into rural areas globally...
7. The global middle class will continue to decline as robots replace human workers...
8. Social Media will be more regulated by global governments...
9. Renewable Energy will experiences numerous technological changes as we experiment with different natural resources...
10. There will be a substantial change in global religions and their influence...
11. UFOs and Extraterrestrials will take a more prominent influence as more information about them is discovered...
12. Global Billionaires will compete for sending the first spaceship to Mars to colonize...
13. Credit Cards and Cash will no longer be used to purchases goods and services globally...
14. Laptops and cell phones will be replaced by digital implants to communicate...

Some of these items sound like what you might see in a SCIFI movie and also seem surreal...  but, there is no telling where technology will take us...  or how much it will cost us...  and, who will be paying for these changes?

• Will it be us via our taxes???
• Will it be us paying for it via higher prices???
• Will it be us via a loss of rights and free programs???

I remember my professor in grad school telling me that there is not such thing as a FREE LUNCH...  someone has to pay for it...

Retired and Cooking

In 2015 when my wife and I retired, she declared that she was no longer cooking meals, except for maybe at Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Therefore, if I wanted to eat, I needed to start cooking myself.

It would have been easy to buy TV Dinners from the grocery store and would not have cost that much more money to do so...  but, after a while, one is going to get tired of those kinds of meals.

My first direction into my cooking journey revolved around making breakfast.  Those early breakfasts included omelets, quiche, and casseroles.  I don't include scrambled eggs, pancakes, or waffles in that journey.

My next direction took me into cooking meals that I would eat for lunch and dinner and were usually composed of some kind of soup.  I played around will all kinds of meats and veggies, and this sometimes included a submersible blender.

Most of my cooking starts with the following:

• onions
• bell peppers
• mushrooms
• celery
• garlic
• leeks

To this I will add olive oil, black pepper, sea salt, and other herbs and spices that harmonize with the meats and veggies I will be using.

I have also limited my protein intake to chicken, fish, turkey, and beans.  I have found that dried beans are cheaper than cans of beans.  They can easily be cooked in an INSTAPOT in 13-15 minutes without soaking them in water overnight.

My starch comes from potatoes, rice, and angel hair pasta.

Very seldom do I use a recipe...  I usually look at recipes to see what is included but pay no attention to the amounts.

My veggies include:

• peas
• limas
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• squash
• lentils
• zucchini
• carrots
• kale
• cabbage

Recently, I have found an AMISH store about 30-40 miles north of my location that has SOUP STARTERS.  Every once in a while, we will drive up there and I will buy 5-6 containers of different kinds of starters.

I don't mind cooking but sometimes it is a hassle what I try to do is minimize the number of pots and pans I use, so that I don't have to spend time cleaning them.  I am particularly fond of ONE POT MEALS.