Scientist Left Out Truth About Climate Change

A California scientist admitted that he "left out the full truth" about climate change, blaming it primarily on human causes, to get his study published in a prestigious science journal.

Patrick T. Brown, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and doctor of earth and climate sciences, admitted in an online article in The Free Press, a blog post and a series of social media posts that he distorted the findings of his studies to appeal to the editors at Nature and Science magazines, which are prestigious online science journals.

"And the editors of these journals have made it abundantly clear, both by what they publish and what they reject, that they want climate papers that support certain preapproved narratives—even when those narratives come at the expense of broader knowledge for society," Brown wrote in The Free Press.

Brown's study published in Nature on Aug. 30 stated that climate change affected extreme wildfire behavior like the devastating fires in California and Maui. The established scientist now admits that he "focused narrowly" only on the human influence of wildfires, instead of focusing broadly on the complexities of other "obviously relevant factors."

He blamed his angle on the pressure scientists face to get their studies published in prestigious articles and the need to create catchy abstracts that can be turned into headlines.

Brown said in The Free Press he is not "disowning" his paper by criticizing how he chose to approach the piece, but admitting it is less "useful than it could have been."

"You might be wondering at this point if I’m disowning my own paper. I’m not," Brown wrote. "On the contrary, I think it advances our understanding of climate change’s role in day-to-day wildfire behavior. It’s just that the process of customizing the research for an eminent journal caused it to be less useful than it could have been."  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

USA Politics

 The spokesperson for the Biden Administration said the impeachment of Biden pursuit by the House (controlled by Republicans) is baseless.

The spokesperson for the Trump Administration said the impeachment of Trump by the House (controlled by the Democrats) was baseless.

SO...  what is going on here?

Each party who has controlled of the House uses that power to start impeachment proceedings of the sitting President.

Why would they do this?

Despite what the media wants to report they cannot ignore the House opening up an impeachment investigation of the sitting President.

Political?

Absolutely...

Another issue...

Ever action that President Trump took while he was President was UNDONE by President Biden when he became President right after Trump.

AND...

If the next President is a Republican, then that President will UNDO everything that Biden put into place.

What does that mean?

America makes no progress...  and, the people gets frustrated not really understanding what the hell is going on.

PLUS...

Americans are divided evenly which is rather amazing.

• 50% of Americans support Republicans
• 50% of Americans support Democrats

Question:  How does the USA make any progress?

Answer:  It doesn't

So...  again...  another issue...

What do our enemies think of the USA?

• Does Russia fear us?
• Does China fear us?
• Does North Korea and/or Iran fear us?

Perhaps a better question is:  Does any global country respect the USA?

The answer to that question will definitely impact our future on both the short run and the long run...

Skateboarder

 

Secret Role in Origin of Life

Researchers have developed a new method to observe chemical reactions in liquids, shedding light on reactions involving molecules like urea that may have contributed to the emergence of life on Earth. The technique involves a special apparatus that produces a fine liquid jet and X-ray spectroscopy, allowing scientists to study reactions taking place in mere femtoseconds.




Scientists from ETH Zurich and the University of Geneva have developed a new technique that allows them to observe chemical reactions taking place in liquids at extremely high temporal resolution. This innovation enables them to track how molecules change within in mere femtoseconds – in other words, within a few quadrillionths of a second.

This breakthrough builds upon prior research by the same team, led by Hans Jakob Wörner, Professor of Physical Chemistry at ETH Zurich. That work yielded similar results for reactions that take place in gas environments.

To expand their X-ray spectroscopy observations to liquids, the researchers had to design an apparatus capable of producing a liquid jet with a diameter of less than one micrometer in a vacuum. This was essential because if the jet were any wider, it would absorb some of the X-rays used to measure it.

Molecular pioneer in biochemistry
Using the new method, the researchers were able to gain insights into the processes that led to the emergence of life on Earth. Many scientists assume that urea played a pivotal role here. It is one of the simplest molecules containing both carbon and nitrogen.

What’s more, it’s highly likely that urea was present even when the Earth was very young, something that was also suggested by a famous experiment done in the 1950s: American scientist Stanley Miller concocted a mixture of those gases believed to have made up the planet’s primordial atmosphere and exposed it to the conditions of a thunderstorm. This produced a series of molecules, one of which was urea.  READ MORE...

Consciousness

 

Gravity is not a Force

 

Eradicating Plaques and Cavities

Scientists have discovered that the molecule DIM reduces biofilms causing dental plaque by 90%. Its addition to toothpaste and mouthwash could revolutionize dental hygiene.

3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM) decreased the Streptococcus mutans biofilm, a leading contributor to plaque and cavities, by 90%.

A significant portion of the global population experiences persistent issues with dental plaque and cavities or will face them at some time. While toothpaste, mouthwash, and routine dental visits help in prevention, there’s always room for improvement.

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in collaboration with teams from Sichuan University and the National University of Singapore, have identified that 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM) – a naturally occurring molecule also referred to as bisindole – can reduce biofilms responsible for plaque and cavities by a remarkable 90%.

The molecule is also found to have anti-carcinogenic properties.  Their findings were recently published in the journal Antibiotics.

Your mouth is a great reservoir for bacteria such as S. mutans, which is believed to be one of the primary actors in dental cavities. S. mutans grows in the moist and sugary atmosphere of your mouth after food in a biofilm that coats your teeth. 

Biofilm generates plaque, attacks enamel, and causes cavities. The scientists found that the bisindole (DIM) disrupted that biofilm by 90% and therefore the bacterium was not given a chance to grow.  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Global View Of USA

What do you believe that the rest of the world thinks about the US of A?

• Are we seen as the global leader?
• Are we seen as the divided country we are?
• Are we seen as having a weak economy?
• Are we seen as having a weak military?

President Biden is seen as a weak president and therefore the US of A is losing respect among the other nations of the world.

While we are living the domestic nightmare of Biden, the rest of the world sees us as a SHIP OF FOOLS with no clear cut direction.  They are seeing that our JUSTICE SYSTEM no longer applies equally to all citizens of the US of A.  They are seeing a relentless attack of Donald Trump during the four years he was President that has continued for the 3 years that Biden has been President.  The rest of the world no longer VALUES OUR DEMOCRACY.

Recently, there have been reports that many of the illegal immigrants that have entered the country from Mexico into Texas, are finding that the US of A is not the same country that they were expecting.  Although, this writer is not really sure that he understands what they were expecting.

One thing is FOR SURE...  Most Americans DO NOT WANT all these illegal immigrants here and that animosity is going to create friction, the likes of which we have never seen before.  It will get much worse before it gets better.

The rest of the world sees that friction as well, which negatively taints our brand of Democracy.

Those countries that do not have Democracies are seeing the antics of the Biden administration, no differently than what is happening in their countries.  That is to say that the US of A is acting as if it is not a Democracy at all.

I believe this change in America happened when the Supreme Court ruled against Government sponsored abortions and gave that right back to the states.  The liberals and the liberal media SPUN the news as if the Supreme Court had done away with abortion altogether...  which they had not.

The rest of the world sees a declining America in so many ways, the least of which is our public education system.  We used to be #1 in the world and now we are #15.

The US of A may have more nuclear weapons than any other country in the but the rest of the world NO LONGER ADMIRES US...

It saddens me to know we have fallen that far down.

Wild Cats and Ball

 

An Unexpected Structure Wraps Up the Earth

The most high-resolution map yet of the underlying geology beneath Earth's Southern Hemisphere reveals something we previously never knew about: an ancient ocean floor that may wrap around the core.


This thin but dense layer exists around 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the surface, according to a study published in April. That depth is where the molten, metallic outer core meets the rocky mantle above it. This is the core-mantle boundary (CMB).


"Seismic investigations, such as ours, provide the highest resolution imaging of the interior structure of our planet, and we are finding that this structure is vastly more complicated than once thought," said geologist Samantha Hansen from the University of Alabama when the findings were announced.


Understanding exactly what's beneath our feet – in as much detail as possible – is vital for studying everything from volcanic eruptions to the variations in Earth's magnetic field, which protects us from the solar radiation in space.


Hansen and her colleagues used 15 monitoring stations buried in the ice of Antarctica to map seismic waves from earthquakes over three years. The way those waves move and bounce reveals the composition of the material inside Earth. Because the sound waves move slower in these areas, they're called ultralow velocity zones (ULVZs).  READ MORE...

A Look into Our Future

 

Somewhat Political

 

Fourth Dimension

 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

While the Myrtle Beach strip is just under 3 miles, the Myrtle Beach Shoreline spans 60 miles of uninterrupted shoreline.  The MB Strip is where all the action takes place and where a majority of the vacationers spend their time.

My wife and I always stay on the southern side of the strip near the end at a resort that is within walking distance of Damon's Restaurant.  Beside Damon's Restaurant is a pier on one side that is excellent for fishing and on the other side is a rental area for: jet skis and sailboats and offers banana boat rides as well as parachute rides.

The shoreline is wide enough to walk on most hours of the day but the best time to walk is during low tide when the shoreline is at its widest.  Throughout the day, you will see hordes of people walking up and down the shoreline, many of whom are carrying an alcoholic beverage with them.  A lot is tolerated as long as you do not abuse the privilege of that tolerance.

My wife and I have been going to Myrtle Beach for thirty years now and have never gotten tired of what it offers, even though old stores close and new ones open the main attractions stay the same.  We can typically spend 7 nights at a resort with ocean facing condos for about $1,500 during the season and about $1,300 on either side of the season.  Not only do these condos face the ocean but have all the amenities of home.

The drive for us is a little over 6 hours and after stopping twice, usually get down to MB in a little over 7 hours.  At our age, we stop every 2 hours to walk around for about 10 minutes.

There are several good places to eat dinner most of which will require a vehicle to get you there.  Those that are within walking distance are the fast foods and pancake houses, except for Damon's as I mentioned earlier.  We usually eat breakfast and lunch at the Condo and go out for dinner.  Sometimes, we will visit the Malls, Outlet Stores, or other tourist attractions like Barefoot Landing.

If you don't like people don't go to Myrtle Beach because there are a ton of people there from May through the end of September.  There are two Biker's weeks in May along with a PGA tournament.

If Myrtle Beach was more than 8 hours away, I doubt that we would go there twice a year or more like we have been doing.

 

Quantum Systems Defy Freezing Logic

Researchers investigated the Mpemba effect in quantum systems, a phenomenon where hotter water can freeze faster than cooler water. This quantum Mpemba effect retains memory of its initial conditions, affecting its thermal relaxation later. The team used two systems with quantum dots and discovered the thermal quantum Mpemba effect across various conditions, suggesting possible broader applications beyond thermal analysis.



Hotter quantum systems can cool faster than initially colder equivalents.

Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Aristotle may have been the first to tackle this question that later became known as the Mpemba effect.

This phenomenon originally referred to the non-monotonic initial temperature dependence of the freezing start time, but it has been observed in various systems — including colloids — and has also become known as a mysterious relaxation phenomenon that depends on initial conditions.

What Is the Mpemba Effect?
The Mpemba effect is a counterintuitive phenomenon where hot water can freeze faster than cold water under certain conditions. Named after Erasto Mpemba, a Tanzanian student who observed this effect in the 1960s and subsequently brought it to the attention of the scientific community, the phenomenon has been a topic of curiosity for centuries, with references dating back to the likes of Aristotle. The exact cause of the Mpemba effect is still a topic of debate among scientists.

Recent Findings
Now, a team of researchers from Kyoto University and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has shown that the temperature quantum Mpemba effect can be realized over a wide range of initial conditions.

“The quantum Mpemba effect bears the memory of initial conditions that result in anomalous thermal relaxation at later times,” explains project leader and co-author Hisao Hayakawa at KyotoU’s Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics.  READ MORE...

Illegal Immigrants

Yesterday, we remembered NINE ELEVEN, the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in NYC, the Pentagon, and a 4th plane that did not reach its target because they were prevented by onboard passengers...  and, while that is again familiarized in many of our minds, I cannot help but wonder about all the terrorists who are coming across our Southern Borders because the Biden administration has no desire to stop illegal immigration.

These potential terrorists will, once inside the USA, begin plotting an attack that could be just as devastating at the NINE ELEVEN attack.  This next attack could be at a football stadium or at a musical concert.  These terrorists could wait and plan something to take place around Thanksgiving or over our Christmas Holidays when we would least expect an attack.

If we put the potential threat of terrorism aside, let's look at the illegal immigration crisis.

Illegal Immigrant Children will be sent to American Public Schools but they do not speak English.

• Will they bring in Spanish teachers?
• Will they bring in Spanish interpreters?
• Will these new students slow down the educational process for the other students?
• Will these illegal immigrant children be taught gender transition issues?
• Will these illegal immigrant children be forced to use non gender specific pronouns?

Another concern...

Many of these illegal immigrant children are coming from countries that DO NOT REQUIRE IMMUNIZATIONS SHOTS.

What does that mean?

• As a result, American children could be catching diseases that have not been around for years.
• These illegal immigrant children could be infecting adults as well.
• When these illegal immigrant children get sick they will be taken to the ER at hospitals that accept patients without health insurance.  Consequently, they will draw down inventories of medical supplies and drugs.

Another concern...

• These illegal immigrants do not have jobs.
• These illegal immigrants do not have money for rent.
• These illegal immigrants do not have money for clothes.
• These illegal immigrants do not have money for food.
• These illegal immigrants may have criminal records.
• These illegal immigrants may be addicted to drugs.

Are we going to spend money on AMERICANS or on ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?

Flamingos

 

The Mesmerizing Atlantic Ocean

From Maine down to Florida, the Atlantic ocean rolls into the coastline of 13 states:

1. Maine
2. New Hampshire
3. Massachusetts 
4. Rhode Island
5. Connecticut
6. New Jersey
7. Maryland
8. Delaware
9. Virginia
10. North Carolina
11. South Carolina
12. Georgia 
13. Florida

However, I am only speaking about my location at the southern end of Myrtle Beach, SC, specifically, the resort referred to as Holiday Sands South.

Even with one of the most powerful hurricanes of the year off to our east, the waves coming into the shoreline is gentle and calm.

There is an inevitability about the waves approaching the shoreline and the idea that they will never stop approaching no matter how long you wait and watch for that to happen.

The water that comes to us at Myrtle Beach, could be coming around Limpopo and Oranje on its way up to Kongo and Senegal before heading west toward North America.

As I sit her under my umbrella and beach chair with a pillow in it for comfort, I cannot help but wonder if at one time, South America was connected to Africa and Africa and Europe were connected to The United States and Canada.

But that fantasy subordinates itself to the mystery and the mesmerizing Atlantic Ocean as it rolls up the shoreline in front of me...  and, I can just imagine how powerful the current must have been to bring it here to me.

For the entire day, I sat here listening to my audiobook and watching the constant encroachment of the water...  and, never once did I want to leave my shade, to step into the water and feel its soothing coolness.  In my heart, I am truly a voyeur... and make no apologies...  the ocean is my therapist and I traveled 7 hours to be here.

 

Reflection

 

An Alternative Picture of Particle Physics

All of nature springs from a handful of components — the fundamental particles — that interact with one another in only a few different ways. In the 1970s, physicists developed a set of equations describing these particles and interactions. Together, the equations formed a succinct theory now known as the Standard Model of particle physics.

The Standard Model is missing a few puzzle pieces (conspicuously absent are the putative particles that make up dark matter, those that convey the force of gravity, and an explanation for the mass of neutrinos), but it provides an extremely accurate picture of almost all other observed phenomena.

Yet for a framework that encapsulates our best understanding of nature’s fundamental order, the Standard Model still lacks a coherent visualization. Most attempts are too simple, or they ignore important interconnections or are jumbled and overwhelming.

A New Approach
Chris Quigg, a particle physicist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois, has been thinking about how to visualize the Standard Model for decades, hoping that a more powerful visual representation would help familiarize people with the known particles of nature and prompt them to think about how these particles might fit into a larger, more complete theoretical framework. 

Quigg’s visual representation shows more of the Standard Model’s underlying order and structure. He calls his scheme the “double simplex” representation, because the left-handed and right-handed particles of nature each form a simplex — a generalization of a triangle. We have adopted Quigg’s scheme and made further modifications.   READ MORE...

Crash Course

 

Growing Up Outside

Highland Hills is the neighborhood in which we have lived for over 20 years.  The name has a Scottish ring to it but none of the homes were built by Scottish people and no Scottish people live here.

This neighborhood is full of retirees for the most part...  I would say that about 80% of the people who live here are retired, which makes their age somewhere in the 60s or 70s.  It is possible that we have some couples in their 80s but I have not met them yet.

Most of the residents do their own yard maintenance but for the rest, they have hired different outside crews to come in...  and on any given day of the week, including Sundays, you will see a pickup truck and a trailer carrying lawn mowing equipment parked on the side of the road.

Other than the noise associated with lawn care tasks, this neighborhood is relatively quiet and it is seldom that you see anyone outside unless they are doing something in the yard.  So, it seems that staying inside the house is common practice in this neighborhood.

In contrast, when I was growing up in the 1950s, I too was in a community about 5 miles outside of any city; Alexandria to be exact.  Our neighborhood was similar to the size of Highland Hills, and was called Wellington Heights.  The neighborhood was full of couples with children and on any given day of the week, most of the children would be outside playing.

I remember that the parents got together every year at Christmas time and agreed to buy similar gifts so that all the children would have the same toys with which to plays.  Of course, there were boy toys nd girl toys back then which would be frowned at today.

Back then, we had television sets and cartoons were broadcasted on Saturday morning, but we were outside playing.  We did not have cell phones, iphones, ipads, ipods, or any hand held electronic devices to distract us from playing.  Back then, it was easy to socialize...  and that socialization did not care what color your skin was...  although, there were no blacks in our community.

Had there been blacks in our community, we all would have played together as there was no racism back then...  at least not until you got to high school.

Somewhat Political

 

Uncertainty Abounds

Uncertainty begins before we are born as we do not know if we will be black or white, male or female, tall or short, or if we will have the intellect to go to college.

Not even the weatherman (or woman) can accurately predict the uncertainty of the weather.

Each day that we are alive on earth, we have no idea if this is going to be our last day or not because of the uncertainty we have about tomorrow.

As a child and perhaps as a young adult that uncertainty does not seem to make much difference to us as we are concerned with other things...  BUT, as we grow older, that uncertainty becomes more and more of a problem for us both mentally and physically.

I certainly had no idea that I was going to have a heart attack while walking on the treadmill at age 60 but I did.  I had not smoked for 20 years.  I had not eaten red meat for 20 years.  I had not consumed alcohol for 20 years.  I exercised 5-7 days each week without hesitation...  and yet, I had the heart attack.

Talk about being surprised because of that uncertainty.

None of us know how long we are going to live nor do we know how we are going to die.  We don't know what our careers will look like or if we will get married and have a family.

We live each day, one day at a time, but when you think about it, we live that one day actually one moment at a time.

With that in mind, I have no certainty that I will finish this article and post it, although the odds are in my favor that I will.  Still, there is uncertainty even with that thought.

This uncertainty can work to our advantage.  Let's say that we are in the Army and our unit has been sent into a war zone to engage in battle with the other side.  Do we hide as much as possible or simply go about our business since we don't know when our time will come to die?

On the other side of the coin, if the enemy understands that logic, then they could wildly charge since nothing is certain that they will die and could possibly overrun our position.

Wealthy people continue to work and see how much money they can make, even though they don't need the money, simply because they have no idea when they are going to die.

We don't admit it and perhaps we don't want to admit it but we live with uncertainty EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY.

Cheese

 

Remnant Galaxies from Universe's Inception

The red region (left) shows the shell enclosed by the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation, with individual galaxies depicted as luminous tiny specks. The blue filaments show the greater Cosmic Web, with previously known features like Laniākea highlighted. Credit: Frédéric Durillon, Animea Studio; Daniel Pomarède, IRFU, CEA University Paris-Saclay. This work benefited from a government funding by France 2030 (P2I – Graduate School of Physics) under reference ANR-11-IDEX-0003



Astronomers have identified an immense bubble, Hoʻoleilana, 820 million light years away. This structure, believed to be a remnant from the universe’s inception and larger than predicted, offers valuable insights into galaxy evolution and the universe’s expansion dynamics.


A University of Hawaiʻi-led discovery of an immense bubble 820 million light years from Earth is believed to be a fossil-like remnant of the birth of the universe. Astronomer Brent Tully from the UH Institute for Astronomy and his team unexpectedly found the bubble within a web of galaxies. The entity has been given the name Hoʻoleilana, a term drawn from the Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation chant evoking the origin of structure.


The new findings published on September 5 in The Astrophysical Journal, mention these massive structures are predicted by the Big Bang theory, as the result of 3D ripples found in the material of the early universe, known as Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO).

The Unexpected Find
“We were not looking for it. It is so huge that it spills to the edges of the sector of the sky that we were analyzing,” explained Tully. “As an enhancement in the density of galaxies, it is a much stronger feature than expected. 

The very large diameter of one billion light years is beyond theoretical expectations. If its formation and evolution are in accordance with theory, this BAO is closer than anticipated, implying a high value for the expansion rate of the universe.”

Astronomers located the bubble using data from Cosmicflows-4, which is to date, the largest compilation of precise distances to galaxies. Tully co-published the exceptional catalog in the fall of 2022. 

His team of researchers believe this may be the first time astronomers identified an individual structure associated with a BAO. The discovery could help bolster scientists’ knowledge of the effects of galaxy evolution.     READ MORE...

Owning a Home

Ever since 1969, when I first got married at the age of 22, I have owned my own home.  My first home was in North Carolina and all the others about 4-5 were purchased in Tennessee.

Owning one's own home has its advantages and disadvantages...   and I am wondering if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages...

1. You own property and land.
2. You can use your home as collateral.
3. You are more trusted if you own a home.
4. Your home is an investment that grows in value.
5. You can use your home to trade up to a nicer more expensive home.
6. Owning a home helps your credit score.

I am sure there are others but those are the main ones.

On the downside of owning a home, there is:

1. mortgage that has to be paid
2. furniture and appliances must be purchased
3. home insurance that needs to acquired
4. there are property taxes that must be paid
5. home owners are responsible for all repairs
6. home owners are responsible for maintenance, such as:

• lawn care
• window care
• cleaning
• plumbing
• electrical
• painting

NOTE:  if you want to sell your home in 3-5 years so that you can upgrade to a better home in a better location, you have invest money in those improvements that you may or may not get back when you sell your home...  there are no guarantees.

Improvements should only be made in the kitchen and bathrooms.

If you decide to purchase a home with a basement, then depending upon several factors, you now have to worry about water drainage when it rains and were your basement walls properly sealed...  If the basement is unfinished, then there is that cost and labor these days is not cheap nor are building materials.

Bear in mind that new home owners need to take into consideration there annual income, and other expenses, and should create a budget that includes:

EXPENSES

Mortgage

Home insurance

Home Maintenance

Lawn Equipment

Car Payment

Gasoline costs

Car Insurance

Car Maintenance

Life Insurance

Food

Electric

Gas

Water

Taxes (IRS, City, County)

Health Insurance

Clothes

Cable or WIFI

Home Entertainment (Netflix, Hulu, etc)

Cell phones

Computers

Vacations

Holidays/Birthdays

Children?

• clothes
• medical
• school supplies
• clothes
• toys/games

MISC

• cigarettes
• alcohol
• out of pocket medical
• cost of pets (food, vet bills)
• cost of a divorce (50% of all first marriages in USA end in divorce)

One of the issues that first time homeowners miss when creating a budget is that they do not anticipate inflation and rising costs, illness, death of a spouse, being laid off, or getting sued because they caused an accident with injuries.

They also do not take into consideration items that are only paid once or twice a year and anticipating the cost of that expense each month so they will not get caught off guard.  What I am thinking about here is car insurance is only paid twice a year.

Owning a home is a big deal and it takes lots of planning to take everything into consideration and have an alternate plan for just in case situations.

 

Bird Bath