This mesmerizing video, taken from the International Space Station, is footage of planet Earth taken at night as the ISS circles the globe. It's pretty amazing.
Showing posts with label Spaceship Earth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spaceship Earth. Show all posts
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
The White House Loses Its Freaking Mind, Trashes Environmentalists
Barack Obama's administration doesn't appear to care whether it stays or goes, as they've now chosen to attack one of the longest-held bastions of liberalism and the Democratic Party: environmentalism.
The right has been very busily attempting to deconstruct the image of green business, with candidates like Rick Perry painting environmental protections as harmful to job creation. Then, Barack Obama appeared to have caved to demands from conservatives on the EPA, ordering a halt to tighter smog restrictions which would have improved the air quality of millions of Americans (and saved who knows how much in health care costs).
Nobel prizewinning economist Paul Krugman has lambasted the decision, stating that stricter EPA regulations would actually have stimulated the economy and driven job creation:
The right has been very busily attempting to deconstruct the image of green business, with candidates like Rick Perry painting environmental protections as harmful to job creation. Then, Barack Obama appeared to have caved to demands from conservatives on the EPA, ordering a halt to tighter smog restrictions which would have improved the air quality of millions of Americans (and saved who knows how much in health care costs).
Nobel prizewinning economist Paul Krugman has lambasted the decision, stating that stricter EPA regulations would actually have stimulated the economy and driven job creation:
And now you can see why tighter ozone regulation would actually have created jobs: it would have forced firms to spend on upgrading or replacing equipment, helping to boost demand. Yes, it would have cost money — but that’s the point! And with corporations sitting on lots of idle cash, the money spent would not, to any significant extent, come at the expense of other investment.
More broadly, if you’re going to do environmental investments — things that are worth doing even in flush times — it’s hard to think of a better time to do them than when the resources needed to make those investments would otherwise have been idle.But now, finally, the White House has completely lost its mind, with one spokesperson comparing environmental movement's claims to GOP insanity and calling its point of view "silly":
Finding a middle ground is difficult, especially in the midst of heated political wrangling over how to cope with the sputtering economy. Businesses are focusing almost entirely on the costs. Environmental groups, meanwhile, tally up the benefits without paying much heed to the costs.
“My view is that the Republican claim that ‘job-killing regulation’ is a redundancy is as ridiculous as the left-wing view that ‘job-killing regulation’ is an oxymoron,” said Cass Sunstein, head of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. “Both are silly political claims that have no place in a serious discussion.”This is, to be quite frank, shocking. At this point, who does Barack Obama think is going to campaign for him? He's drawn the ire of the LGBTs, infuriated economists and social program advocates, and is now foolishly alienating the enviro movement. 2012 is looking bleaker than ever.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Bachmann's Such A Kidder
Never one to let a ridiculous Republican trend pass her by, Michele Bachmann was quoted this weekend in a claim of particular stupidity:
In an interesting counterpoint to her theory is one actually supported by science and rational thinking: some scientists are saying Irene's intensity is a direct result of man-made climate change:
“I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane. He said, ‘Are you going to start listening to me here?’ Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we’ve got to rein in the spending.”Of course, her spokesperson, realizing what a complete and utter stupid thing this is to say, now claims that Bachmann was kidding. Duh! Ol' Crazy Eyes would never ever say anything insane and mean it.
In an interesting counterpoint to her theory is one actually supported by science and rational thinking: some scientists are saying Irene's intensity is a direct result of man-made climate change:
While the number of the most intense storms has clearly been rising since the 1970s, researchers have come to differing conclusions about whether that increase can be attributed to human activities.
“On a longer time scale, I think — but not all of my colleagues agree — that the evidence for a connection between Atlantic hurricanes and global climate change is fairly compelling,” said Kerry Emanuel, an expert on the issue at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.I think it far more likely that hurricanes are intensified by greenhouse gases than evidence of God's displeasure over Obamacare. Just sayin'.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. XVI
Today's Geek Shit Wednesday has two stories that will interest smartphone users and one that will interest the child-at-heart who probably plays too much Final Fantasy. IE: Me.
Supergay: Super-Offensive?
A trailer for a new iOS game (available for $3.99) has been released. Supergay is supposedly a groundbreaking game about a superhero coming to terms with this sexuality.
"The game casts players in the role of Dr. Tom Palmer, a scientist working on cloning technology while struggling to come to terms with his own sexuality.
"In traditional comic-book manner, something goes terribly wrong and Palmer becomes the pink and black-clad superhero Supergay, armed with a Rainbow Ray."
I would suggest that any superhero that dons pink, slaps a "G" on his chest, and then runs around spurting rainbows all over the place isn't really "struggling with his sexuality."
The app has some reviewers pissed, however. Alyssa Rosenberg at ThinkProgress eviscerates the game concept:
"You know what American popular culture needs? Gay superheroes. You know what American popular culture doesn’t need? Gay superheroes who come to terms with their sexual orientation by a) beating the hell out of an army of their ex-girlfriends who b) of course have turned into a bunch of evil clones, I suppose by science and the trauma of being dumped."
"This is more than some obscure bureaucratic hair-pull. The answer to those questions — and the winners of those fights — could determine the direction of U.S. intelligence-gathering for years to come.
"Here’s why. Surveillance drones like the Predator and the Reaper are starting to lose just a bit of their sheen in military circles, even though their number of “orbits,” or combat air patrols, has more than quadrupled in the last five years. Giant spy blimps are the new hotness. They can stay in the air for much longer than any drone. Instead of a Predator’s single camera, the blimps can carry a whole bunch of surveillance equipment, because they’re so freakin’ huge. Any one of those sensors could spy on an entire town at once. There’s even enough space on board the airship to process all that data in the sky, easing the burden on overloaded intelligence analysts."
Supergay: Super-Offensive?
A trailer for a new iOS game (available for $3.99) has been released. Supergay is supposedly a groundbreaking game about a superhero coming to terms with this sexuality.
"The game casts players in the role of Dr. Tom Palmer, a scientist working on cloning technology while struggling to come to terms with his own sexuality.
"In traditional comic-book manner, something goes terribly wrong and Palmer becomes the pink and black-clad superhero Supergay, armed with a Rainbow Ray."
I would suggest that any superhero that dons pink, slaps a "G" on his chest, and then runs around spurting rainbows all over the place isn't really "struggling with his sexuality."
The app has some reviewers pissed, however. Alyssa Rosenberg at ThinkProgress eviscerates the game concept:
"You know what American popular culture needs? Gay superheroes. You know what American popular culture doesn’t need? Gay superheroes who come to terms with their sexual orientation by a) beating the hell out of an army of their ex-girlfriends who b) of course have turned into a bunch of evil clones, I suppose by science and the trauma of being dumped."
Meh. I thought it was cute.
Rare Earths Discovered In Sea Floor Mud
Due to loose environmental regulations, a vast workforce, and rich deposits China has cornered the world market of rare earths, a group of minerals necessary to build just about anything "smart," from cars to cell-phones to wind turbines. Even though Australia, the US, and the former USSR together holds about a third of the world's measured (thus far) supply of rare earths, China has a stranglehold on the industry, producing a whopping 97% of the metals used.
Some would like to change that, and a new way has been found. Japanese divers taking core samples from ocean floor mud discovered that the vast plains beneath the waves are positively covered in these rare deposits. Not only have critical metals like vanadium, cobalt, and manganese been found in unprecedented amounts, but the vast swathe of minerals generally lack the harmful presence of thorium and uranium, meaning there is little to no risk of radioactivity.
Plus? It's freaking easy to extract. Instead of the all that hassle with mining and rooting around underground (plus refining? Messy!), rare earths can be plucked from the mud by simply putting the muck in a weak acid solution.
Thanks, planet Earth! You "rock!"
This is super rad. Why is the ocean floor so rich in these minerals? We have hydrothermal activity to thank for that! Vents that spew chemicals from the heart of our planet have literally littered the seascape with this stuff-- in fact, just one square kilometer of mud from one of these regions could supply one-fifth the world's demand in rare earths.
If the impact to the oceanic environment can be kept to a minimum, this is great news. I think some enterprising sea-going entrepreneurs are going to become very, very rich in coming years.
GIANT SPY BLIMPS OMG!
This story literally made me scream with happiness and excitement in my house, thoroughly frightening our dog. I love airships in all their different forms (I daydreamed about owning a zeppelin in my youth, or really I did just yesterday), so anytime I see another application for these airborne behemoths I shoot a geekwad all over the place.
The current tactic in the military for unmanned spy operations over the past decade has been spyplanes, with the robotic drones quadrupling their "orbits" over contested territories over the past five years. While they are a boon for intelligence, the damn things are expensive. Each plane costs about $8,000 an hour to run, and that constitutes a significant resource drain. Both the Air Force and the Army, however, are developing projects for use in Afghanistan. Ladies and gentlemen, the spy blimp:
Geekgasm!
"This is more than some obscure bureaucratic hair-pull. The answer to those questions — and the winners of those fights — could determine the direction of U.S. intelligence-gathering for years to come.
"Here’s why. Surveillance drones like the Predator and the Reaper are starting to lose just a bit of their sheen in military circles, even though their number of “orbits,” or combat air patrols, has more than quadrupled in the last five years. Giant spy blimps are the new hotness. They can stay in the air for much longer than any drone. Instead of a Predator’s single camera, the blimps can carry a whole bunch of surveillance equipment, because they’re so freakin’ huge. Any one of those sensors could spy on an entire town at once. There’s even enough space on board the airship to process all that data in the sky, easing the burden on overloaded intelligence analysts."
I only have one objection to these projects-- why do they have to be unmanned?! Can I please spy on Afghanistan from a blimp? Please?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Gore Slams Obama On Climate Change
The Obama Administration is taking yet another hit from a prominent progressive, with Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore indicating that the public's general ignorance on climate change is partly due to inaction on the part of the President.
After listing some of the successes of the presidency, Gore goes on to say (from Rolling Stone):
"But in spite of these and other achievements, President Obama has thus far failed to use the bully pulpit to make the case for bold action on climate change. After successfully passing his green stimulus package, he did nothing to defend it when Congress decimated its funding. After the House passed cap and trade, he did little to make passage in the Senate a priority. Senate advocates — including one Republican — felt abandoned when the president made concessions to oil and coal companies without asking for anything in return. He has also called for a massive expansion of oil drilling in the United States, apparently in an effort to defuse criticism from those who argue speciously that "drill, baby, drill" is the answer to our growing dependence on foreign oil.
"The failure to pass legislation to limit global-warming pollution ensured that the much-anticipated Copenhagen summit on a global treaty in 2009 would also end in failure. The president showed courage in attending the summit and securing a rhetorical agreement to prevent a complete collapse of the international process, but that's all it was — a rhetorical agreement. During the final years of the Bush-Cheney administration, the rest of the world was waiting for a new president who would aggressively tackle the climate crisis — and when it became clear that there would be no real change from the Bush era, the agenda at Copenhagen changed from 'How do we complete this historic breakthrough?' to 'How can we paper over this embarrassing disappointment?'"
"But in spite of these and other achievements, President Obama has thus far failed to use the bully pulpit to make the case for bold action on climate change. After successfully passing his green stimulus package, he did nothing to defend it when Congress decimated its funding. After the House passed cap and trade, he did little to make passage in the Senate a priority. Senate advocates — including one Republican — felt abandoned when the president made concessions to oil and coal companies without asking for anything in return. He has also called for a massive expansion of oil drilling in the United States, apparently in an effort to defuse criticism from those who argue speciously that "drill, baby, drill" is the answer to our growing dependence on foreign oil.
"The failure to pass legislation to limit global-warming pollution ensured that the much-anticipated Copenhagen summit on a global treaty in 2009 would also end in failure. The president showed courage in attending the summit and securing a rhetorical agreement to prevent a complete collapse of the international process, but that's all it was — a rhetorical agreement. During the final years of the Bush-Cheney administration, the rest of the world was waiting for a new president who would aggressively tackle the climate crisis — and when it became clear that there would be no real change from the Bush era, the agenda at Copenhagen changed from 'How do we complete this historic breakthrough?' to 'How can we paper over this embarrassing disappointment?'"
After the near disastrous PR generated by Netroots Nation for the President, more and more Obama appears to need to make tougher stances on issues important to the people that vote for him. While bipartisanship is important, can we continue to sacrifice our progressive ideals in the quest for moderate politics?
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. XIV
I've missed a couple weeks of GSW, but we're back, with all the super-special geekiness that you've come to love.
Video: Spiders Spin Webs In Zero G
I've always thought it would be neat to be in space, but I figure the vertigo from free-fall would cause me to barf everywhere, initiating a nonstop spewfest. These spiders we shot into space, but instead of hurling all over they demonstrated how spiders require gravity in order to orient themselves for web building.
On Earth, these golden orb spiders, named Gladys and Esmerelda, would normally build circular webs. However, on the International Space Station, seem confused and actually spin webs in an orb.
This video and the data gleaned will be used by students in the classroom in order to compare with the behaviors of Earth-bound arachnids.
Sega Brings BBC Earth To Life With Interactive Experience
Interactive exhibit spaces sponsored by Sega and featuring content provided by BBC Earth will be coming to the US and Japan within the next two years, as reported by Wired UK:
"The details of the 'experience' are somewhat vague, but we do know that it will take up 4,000 square metres of a multi-level space where visitors will be able to explore the natural world using their eyes, ears, hands and minds.
"It will use content from BBC Earth's hit series -- including Planet Earth and The Blue Planet -- and technology from Sega's Facility Business. This is the division that builds large live entertainment concepts, including amusement arcades and theme parks such as Tokyo's Joypolis and Dubai's indoor theme park Sega Republic. The sorts of technologies that may be on show include interactive theatres, motion simulators and virtual reality environments. Visitors would pay an entry fee just as they would for an exhibition or amusement park."
Video: Spiders Spin Webs In Zero G
I've always thought it would be neat to be in space, but I figure the vertigo from free-fall would cause me to barf everywhere, initiating a nonstop spewfest. These spiders we shot into space, but instead of hurling all over they demonstrated how spiders require gravity in order to orient themselves for web building.
On Earth, these golden orb spiders, named Gladys and Esmerelda, would normally build circular webs. However, on the International Space Station, seem confused and actually spin webs in an orb.
This video and the data gleaned will be used by students in the classroom in order to compare with the behaviors of Earth-bound arachnids.
Sega Brings BBC Earth To Life With Interactive Experience
Interactive exhibit spaces sponsored by Sega and featuring content provided by BBC Earth will be coming to the US and Japan within the next two years, as reported by Wired UK:
"The details of the 'experience' are somewhat vague, but we do know that it will take up 4,000 square metres of a multi-level space where visitors will be able to explore the natural world using their eyes, ears, hands and minds.
"It will use content from BBC Earth's hit series -- including Planet Earth and The Blue Planet -- and technology from Sega's Facility Business. This is the division that builds large live entertainment concepts, including amusement arcades and theme parks such as Tokyo's Joypolis and Dubai's indoor theme park Sega Republic. The sorts of technologies that may be on show include interactive theatres, motion simulators and virtual reality environments. Visitors would pay an entry fee just as they would for an exhibition or amusement park."
Planet Earth and the Blue Planet are my two utmost favorite documentary series. Congrats to Sega for signing onto BBC's exploration of Spaceship Earth. While sources in both companies are being tight-lipped about the locations of both spaces, it might be worth the plane ticket to wherever it is.
Photography: Summer Solstice 2011
While pagans and hippies were busy worshipping the sun yesterday for the summer solstice (yeah, I'm talking to you, Lux!), Gizmodo was busy collecting images of the sun on the longest day of the year. Click on over to enjoy all 45.
Monday, June 20, 2011
UN Recognizes Gay Folk For The First Time Ever
The UN passed a resolution Friday which has some African and Middle Eastern governments furious: its first statement of support recognizing LGBT people worldwide.
The resolution recognizes the need for protections for LGBTs, extending the Universal Declaration for Human Rights to protect people of minority orientations and gender identities. This Declaration asserts that these protected classes should not be exposed to violence nor discrimination based on their unique self-identified traits.
The nations that were for and against the resolution went along lines that you would come to expect based on their much-publicized policies:
"States supporting the resolution: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, UK, USA, Uruguay
"States against the resolution: Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Uganda.
"Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Zambia
"Absent: Kyrgyzstan, Libya (suspended)
"Co-Sponsors of the resolution: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, and Uruguay."
The resolution recognizes the need for protections for LGBTs, extending the Universal Declaration for Human Rights to protect people of minority orientations and gender identities. This Declaration asserts that these protected classes should not be exposed to violence nor discrimination based on their unique self-identified traits.
The nations that were for and against the resolution went along lines that you would come to expect based on their much-publicized policies:
"States supporting the resolution: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, UK, USA, Uruguay
"States against the resolution: Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Uganda.
"Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Zambia
"Absent: Kyrgyzstan, Libya (suspended)
"Co-Sponsors of the resolution: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, and Uruguay."
I find this interesting not just because this is the first resolution regarding LGBT people but because this is international recognition of classes of people not identifiable by the color of their skin or their religion, but that this resolution supports (in a roundabout way) people's right to self-determine their sexuality or gender classification. That said, it's kind of sad that it took a decade into the 21st century for the UN to take this step.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday, Vol. XIII
New Project Aims To Save Amphibians Via Social Networking
Living in the Facebook Age, it seems every two seconds we are presented with yet another opportunity to "Save the World!!!" via social networking. Why, this here blog thingy wouldn't have a single reader or any impact whatsoever were it not for diligent and obnoxious use of Facebook and Twitter for promotion on behalf of its author.
Sometimes, however, a project has actual scientific impact geared towards "Saving the World!!!" or, in this case, "Saving the Frogs!!!"
"The Global Amphibian Blitz is a website that lets amateur naturalists upload images of beasties they encounter on their travels, along with the date and their location. Experts will then browse and filter the submissions in a bid to identify rare species or amphibians found out of their normal habitat.
"The initiative has been launched by the University of California, Berkeley’s AmphibiaWeb, which is a database of nearly 7,000 amphibians; Amphibian Ark; the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; the Amphibian Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission, which is part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature; the Center for Biological Diversity; and iNaturalist.org, a social network for naturalists.
"Amphibian lovers hope that crowdsourcing sightings of these species could give a greater indication of which species are threatened, but in a cost-effective way."
"Through the strength of our cloud-based security and abuse detection systems*, we recently uncovered a campaign to collect user passwords, likely through phishing. This campaign, which appears to originate from Jinan, China, affected what seem to be the personal Gmail accounts of hundreds of users including, among others, senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several Asian countries (predominantly South Korea), military personnel and journalists.
"The goal of this effort seems to have been to monitor the contents of these users’ emails, with the perpetrators apparently using stolen passwords to change peoples’ forwarding and delegation settings. (Gmail enables you to forward your emails automatically, as well as grant others access to your account.)"
"According to the Zynga press release: 'Throughout the game, players will build army units, recruit friends, and encounter helpful allies and unique villains as fight their way across enemy-held territories on the quest to defeat the final villain.'
"'Think CityVille meets Risk,' said Amer Ajami, executive producer of Empires & Allies at Zynga."
Living in the Facebook Age, it seems every two seconds we are presented with yet another opportunity to "Save the World!!!" via social networking. Why, this here blog thingy wouldn't have a single reader or any impact whatsoever were it not for diligent and obnoxious use of Facebook and Twitter for promotion on behalf of its author.
Sometimes, however, a project has actual scientific impact geared towards "Saving the World!!!" or, in this case, "Saving the Frogs!!!"
"The Global Amphibian Blitz is a website that lets amateur naturalists upload images of beasties they encounter on their travels, along with the date and their location. Experts will then browse and filter the submissions in a bid to identify rare species or amphibians found out of their normal habitat.
"The initiative has been launched by the University of California, Berkeley’s AmphibiaWeb, which is a database of nearly 7,000 amphibians; Amphibian Ark; the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; the Amphibian Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission, which is part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature; the Center for Biological Diversity; and iNaturalist.org, a social network for naturalists.
"Amphibian lovers hope that crowdsourcing sightings of these species could give a greater indication of which species are threatened, but in a cost-effective way."
Google Reports Hackers From China Breaking Into, Monitoring Email
Google revealed today that hundreds of email accounts on the popular Gmail webmail service have been compromised due to efforts from hackers out of Jinan, China. The targets? Chinese activists, journalists, US officials and officials in neighboring Asian countries.
"The goal of this effort seems to have been to monitor the contents of these users’ emails, with the perpetrators apparently using stolen passwords to change peoples’ forwarding and delegation settings. (Gmail enables you to forward your emails automatically, as well as grant others access to your account.)"
This latest set of attacks comes a year and a half after Google reported Chinese efforts to undermine Google's own corporate infrastructure and is yet another symptom of the Chinese government's campaign to control information in and out of the communist nation.
Zynga Set To Conquer The World
Zynga, the Facebook gaming giant responsible for FarmVille, CityVille, and others has released a new game today geared towards the more warlike amongst us.
"Empires and Allies" is a story-driven strategy game positing the gamer as the leader of an island nation, and progression through the game requires you to battle the unsuspecting folks on your friendlist for world domination.
"'Think CityVille meets Risk,' said Amer Ajami, executive producer of Empires & Allies at Zynga."
Hmmmm. Maybe I'll break my strict "no Facebook gaming" rule.
Monday, May 30, 2011
PA Rep Votes To Slash Funding For EPA, Then Wonders Why They're Not Doing Their Job
In an ironic twist and general WTF moment, EPA naysayer Rep. Lou Barletta says he wishes the Environmental Protection Agency would do more to protect the health of his constituents. This, of course, follows his retaliatory vote to defund the EPA in retribution for its efforts to regulate greenhouse emissions.
In a move unpopular with his own district, Barletta (R-PA) voted to gut the budget of the Agency in order to protect American business from regulation. Then, oddly enough, a constituent of his blamed a Superfund site for giving him cancer. The EPA held a town-hall meeting on the subject, then decided to forgo testing at the site. Barletta was outraged.
In a move unpopular with his own district, Barletta (R-PA) voted to gut the budget of the Agency in order to protect American business from regulation. Then, oddly enough, a constituent of his blamed a Superfund site for giving him cancer. The EPA held a town-hall meeting on the subject, then decided to forgo testing at the site. Barletta was outraged.
"On Wednesday, Barletta sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson asking the agency to perform additional testing in the Carroll/Mill Street neighborhood.[...]'Frankly, this is unacceptable. The EPA’s own Web site indicates that one of the agency’s primary reasons for existence is to ensure that "all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work."'[...]
"'I was surprised to hear an EPA official basically tell the residents of the Carroll/Mill neighborhood that they would not conduct soil and water testing to find answers. It is absolutely the EPA’s job, and I’m going to make sure that job is done. The residents are scared, and they deserve answers and peace of mind.'"
How the hell are you going to vote to destroy an agency and then complain that they should do more? Asshat.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Top 10 New Species List Released For 2010
Every year new species are being discovered on Spaceship Earth, with 2010 being no exception.
The strange, the profound, and the downright creepy are found on Arizona State University Institute for Species Exploration top 10 list.
For example:
The wreck of the Titanic symbolizes maritime tragedy to many, but is now the site of an amazing discovery: a bacterium that feeds on iron oxide, commonly known as rust. Should we be able to breed this bacteria in labs, it shows potential for practical applications in industrial cleanup projects.
This mushroom is remarkable due to the simple fact that it is the only known mushroom to "fruit"-- spread spores-- and spend its life cycle underwater. Found in Ian Awesome's home state of Oregon, this fungus makes its home under the currents of the Rogue River.
Finally, one that I found personally terrifying: Tyranobdella Rex, the "Tyrant Leech King." This beast was found eating away at the inside of a little girl's nose in Peru. Why is it remarkable? Who the fuck cares, it's a scary mofo with huge teeth.
There's an important message to projects like these. Scientists estimate that all the species discovered since 1758 represent just 20% of the biomass representing life on Earth. They believe that close to 10 million species remain to be classified before we have an accurate picture of how the overall biosphere works, with species being driven extinct planetwide all the time.
While some of these new species might be perceived as gross, icky, or pests, it behooves us to understand as much of our home as possible and preserve those critters that we have yet to encounter.
The strange, the profound, and the downright creepy are found on Arizona State University Institute for Species Exploration top 10 list.
For example:
The wreck of the Titanic symbolizes maritime tragedy to many, but is now the site of an amazing discovery: a bacterium that feeds on iron oxide, commonly known as rust. Should we be able to breed this bacteria in labs, it shows potential for practical applications in industrial cleanup projects.
Halomonas titanicae
This mushroom is remarkable due to the simple fact that it is the only known mushroom to "fruit"-- spread spores-- and spend its life cycle underwater. Found in Ian Awesome's home state of Oregon, this fungus makes its home under the currents of the Rogue River.
Psathyrella aquatica
Finally, one that I found personally terrifying: Tyranobdella Rex, the "Tyrant Leech King." This beast was found eating away at the inside of a little girl's nose in Peru. Why is it remarkable? Who the fuck cares, it's a scary mofo with huge teeth.
Tyrannobdella rex
There's an important message to projects like these. Scientists estimate that all the species discovered since 1758 represent just 20% of the biomass representing life on Earth. They believe that close to 10 million species remain to be classified before we have an accurate picture of how the overall biosphere works, with species being driven extinct planetwide all the time.
While some of these new species might be perceived as gross, icky, or pests, it behooves us to understand as much of our home as possible and preserve those critters that we have yet to encounter.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
OneAngryCultist: Weighing in on Stephen Hawking
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking made some ripples in the news by announcing that, “a belief that heaven or an afterlife awaits us is a "fairy story" for people.” This, naturally, sent some cultists into an uproar and nearly flooded my Facebook feed with cross-postings for a few days. When approached by our very own Ian Awesome to weigh in on the matter, I was warned in no uncertain terms to “[not] knock him on the basis of being an atheist.” At the time, having not read the article myself, I couldn’t really see what the issue was with his statements and, to be perfectly honest, I still don’t. Now, I’m no stranger to poking at the more rabid fundamentalist atheists such as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins whose evangelicalism of the Truth ™ of Science borders on fanaticism however, looking at Hawking’s statement I can’t find much to fault him on other than falling into the same pit of literalism that many cultist of different denominations tend to fall. Additionally, the fundamental problem I have in this discussion is the insistence of an either/or dichotomy between science and religion as an explanation.
Personally, I love science and using the scientific method as a mode of critical inquiry. The problem with defining metaphysics and religion by the standards of science, however, is about as sloppy as using liquid measurements to calculate distance of one object to another – the two are descriptive of two entirely different sets of phenomena and one can’t use the standards of one to verify the other. That being said, I definitely think there’s a lot of room for them to complement our understanding of the phenomenological world. That being said, I did gain a new appreciation for Hawking in his comments on Science, Truth and Beauty:
Personally, I love science and using the scientific method as a mode of critical inquiry. The problem with defining metaphysics and religion by the standards of science, however, is about as sloppy as using liquid measurements to calculate distance of one object to another – the two are descriptive of two entirely different sets of phenomena and one can’t use the standards of one to verify the other. That being said, I definitely think there’s a lot of room for them to complement our understanding of the phenomenological world. That being said, I did gain a new appreciation for Hawking in his comments on Science, Truth and Beauty:
What is the value in knowing "Why are we here?"
The universe is governed by science. But science tells us that we can't solve the equations, directly in the abstract. We need to use the effective theory of Darwinian natural selection of those societies most likely to survive. We assign them higher value.
You've said there is no reason to invoke God to light the blue touchpaper. Is our existence all down to luck?
Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing. It is a matter of chance which we are in.
So here we are. What should we do?
We should seek the greatest value of our action.
You had a health scare and spent time in hospital in 2009. What, if anything, do you fear about death?
I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.
What are the things you find most beautiful in science?
Science is beautiful when it makes simple explanations of phenomena or connections between different observations. Examples include the double helix in biology, and the fundamental equations of physics."
While I respectfully disagree with his “brain as computer” metaphor, I really don’t see much here being said from which the more religious couldn’t benefit, in particular seeking the greatest value of our actions which, much to his possible own dismay, really sums up the essence of what good theology is all about.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. XI
This week's Geek Shit Wednesday details two stories which could cheer environmentalists and one warning for Facebook users.
Climate Change Critic's Work Withdrawn Due To Plagiarism
Turns out that one of the staunch attackers of climate change theory in Congressional hearings has had to withdraw his paper on the subject because it's all someone else's uncredited work.
"The report in question was compiled by Edward Wegman of George Mason University. In it, he criticized the methods used to generate a version of the hockey stick graph generated by Michael Mann, a Penn State climatologist (similar results have been produced by other researchers). But he also raised questions about anything published by climatologists by performing a network analysis that ostensibly showed that it was a small field in which most participants collaborated and then served as reviewers on each others' papers, despite the potential for conflicts of interest. That analysis was later published as an independent paper, in which certain styles of research were suggested to be prone to "group-think, reduced creativity, and the possibility of less rigorous reviewing processes.'"
How funny that a paper ripped off of someone else is accusing researches of a lack of creativity.
[Ars Technica]
NO, There Still Isn't A "Dislike" Button
There's yet another Facebook "dislike" button scam going around, online security service Sophos said on Monday, with spammers yet again trying to scam users with "new" features. Essentially, the link promises you the ability to enable a "dislike" button by copying and pasting a malicious code into your address bar.
From Mashable:
"It looks like the bulk of the damage from the scam occurred during the weekend. Nobody on team Mashable has seen the scam, and there is no evidence of the scam on public status updates from the past 24 hours. (It’s important to note that Facebook search isn’t comprehensive, and the scam may have found a way to hide from public search results.)"
[Mashable]
Tree Rat Not Extinct After All
The reclusive Red-Crested Tree Rat reappeared after 113 years, with one specimen popping up in a Colombian forest and posing for some photos. Its reappearance and continued existence is credited to the work of Fundacion ProAves, a conservation group which purchase large tracts of forest to preserve the species found in the threatened wilds.
"Despite its miraculous appearance, the rat, also known as the red crested soft-furred spiny-rat, seemed fairly relaxed about making history. Lizzie Noble, a volunteer from Britain, had been at the reserve for just a month when she witnessed the creature: 'He just shuffled up the handrail near where we were sitting and seemed totally unperturbed by all the excitement he was causing. We are absolutely delighted to have rediscovered such a wonderful creature [...] Clearly the El Dorado Reserve has many more exciting discoveries waiting,' she said in a ProAves press release."
[Wired]
Climate Change Critic's Work Withdrawn Due To Plagiarism
Turns out that one of the staunch attackers of climate change theory in Congressional hearings has had to withdraw his paper on the subject because it's all someone else's uncredited work.
"The report in question was compiled by Edward Wegman of George Mason University. In it, he criticized the methods used to generate a version of the hockey stick graph generated by Michael Mann, a Penn State climatologist (similar results have been produced by other researchers). But he also raised questions about anything published by climatologists by performing a network analysis that ostensibly showed that it was a small field in which most participants collaborated and then served as reviewers on each others' papers, despite the potential for conflicts of interest. That analysis was later published as an independent paper, in which certain styles of research were suggested to be prone to "group-think, reduced creativity, and the possibility of less rigorous reviewing processes.'"
How funny that a paper ripped off of someone else is accusing researches of a lack of creativity.
[Ars Technica]
NO, There Still Isn't A "Dislike" Button
There's yet another Facebook "dislike" button scam going around, online security service Sophos said on Monday, with spammers yet again trying to scam users with "new" features. Essentially, the link promises you the ability to enable a "dislike" button by copying and pasting a malicious code into your address bar.
"It looks like the bulk of the damage from the scam occurred during the weekend. Nobody on team Mashable has seen the scam, and there is no evidence of the scam on public status updates from the past 24 hours. (It’s important to note that Facebook search isn’t comprehensive, and the scam may have found a way to hide from public search results.)"
[Mashable]
Tree Rat Not Extinct After All
The reclusive Red-Crested Tree Rat reappeared after 113 years, with one specimen popping up in a Colombian forest and posing for some photos. Its reappearance and continued existence is credited to the work of Fundacion ProAves, a conservation group which purchase large tracts of forest to preserve the species found in the threatened wilds.
"Despite its miraculous appearance, the rat, also known as the red crested soft-furred spiny-rat, seemed fairly relaxed about making history. Lizzie Noble, a volunteer from Britain, had been at the reserve for just a month when she witnessed the creature: 'He just shuffled up the handrail near where we were sitting and seemed totally unperturbed by all the excitement he was causing. We are absolutely delighted to have rediscovered such a wonderful creature [...] Clearly the El Dorado Reserve has many more exciting discoveries waiting,' she said in a ProAves press release."
[Wired]
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
BP's Profits Soar to $7.1 Billion
This is kinda gross.
As gas prices approach 3.89 a gallon on average, BP has been pulling in huge profits, with a 17 percent increase in the first quarter.
"BP PLC posted a 17 percent increase in net profit for the first quarter as higher oil prices helped to offset continued costs stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster last year. The U.K.-based energy giant said Wednesday net profit for the quarter was $7.12 billion, compared with $6.08 billion a year earlier. Total revenue for the quarter rose 18.7% to $88.31 billion from $74.42 billion."
Of course, all this while dolphins and sea turtles are still dying off in droves due to oil-poisoned waters from the oil rig disaster perpetrated by shoddy safety standards.
Here's the kicker that not everyone knows: BP's expensive cleanup of the mess they caused? They were able to write it off on their taxes-- essentially adding them to the list of companies that got through 2010 practically tax free.
"BP, on the other hand, just scored a nearly $10 billion dollar credit on their 2010 federal tax return, by writing off their 'losses' incurred from the tragedy.
"That's the equivalent of the entire annual budget of the EPA, whose funding was just slashed in the continuing resolution. It is almost one third of all the cuts in the continuing resolution."
Doubleyou Tee Eff? How the hell is BP, after severely changing the enviro-economic landscape of the Gulf, writing off the damage they've done?
[ThinkProgress]
As gas prices approach 3.89 a gallon on average, BP has been pulling in huge profits, with a 17 percent increase in the first quarter.
"BP PLC posted a 17 percent increase in net profit for the first quarter as higher oil prices helped to offset continued costs stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster last year. The U.K.-based energy giant said Wednesday net profit for the quarter was $7.12 billion, compared with $6.08 billion a year earlier. Total revenue for the quarter rose 18.7% to $88.31 billion from $74.42 billion."
Of course, all this while dolphins and sea turtles are still dying off in droves due to oil-poisoned waters from the oil rig disaster perpetrated by shoddy safety standards.
Here's the kicker that not everyone knows: BP's expensive cleanup of the mess they caused? They were able to write it off on their taxes-- essentially adding them to the list of companies that got through 2010 practically tax free.
"BP, on the other hand, just scored a nearly $10 billion dollar credit on their 2010 federal tax return, by writing off their 'losses' incurred from the tragedy.
"That's the equivalent of the entire annual budget of the EPA, whose funding was just slashed in the continuing resolution. It is almost one third of all the cuts in the continuing resolution."
Doubleyou Tee Eff? How the hell is BP, after severely changing the enviro-economic landscape of the Gulf, writing off the damage they've done?
[ThinkProgress]
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Bryan Fischer Advocates the Slaughter of Grizzly Bears
Real quick, Bryan Fischer of the American (anti)Family Association-- what the hell does this have to do with your job?!
Of course, most grizzly bears would prefer to just leave you alone, but this begs the question: if climate change isn't a contributing factor in grizzly bears being driven out of their habitats and into urban areas, isn't that akin to saying "People don't kill people. Guns kill people"?
I would really love to see the "science" behind that tweet. I could use a laugh.
I would really love to see the "science" behind that tweet. I could use a laugh.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Russia Bans Polar Bear Hunting, US Still Doesn't Care
The dwindling polar bear population has been impacted pretty severely in recent years by climate change and overhunting. The Polar Bear Specialist Group has listed most regional populations as declining with a very high risk of continuing decline. Russia has taken heed and banned its already slim hunting quota, meaning that it would be illegal to kill a single bear.
Why is the US still allowing it?
"A Russian-U.S. commission last year agreed to restrict polar bear hunting to 29 animals per year for each country. But The Polar Bear program, established under Putin's patronage, said this week that Russia had waived its quota for bear hunting.
"Although the polar bear is an endangered animal, officials in Russia and the U.S. have said hunting is vital for the indigenous people in Alaska and in far-eastern Russia across the Bering Strait.
"The Polar Bear program, which said U.S. officials had long been reluctant to introduce the cap on hunting, said around 100 polar bears a year have been killed in Alaska in recent years."
Because I would hate to take away an American's right to kill an endangered animal from a helicopter.
[SeattlePI]
Why is the US still allowing it?
"A Russian-U.S. commission last year agreed to restrict polar bear hunting to 29 animals per year for each country. But The Polar Bear program, established under Putin's patronage, said this week that Russia had waived its quota for bear hunting.
"Although the polar bear is an endangered animal, officials in Russia and the U.S. have said hunting is vital for the indigenous people in Alaska and in far-eastern Russia across the Bering Strait.
"The Polar Bear program, which said U.S. officials had long been reluctant to introduce the cap on hunting, said around 100 polar bears a year have been killed in Alaska in recent years."
Because I would hate to take away an American's right to kill an endangered animal from a helicopter.
[SeattlePI]
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. VII
This week we have more evidence the world is going to blow up, a blind water skiier, and annoying-ass ads on the Kindle. That's right kids: IT'S GEEK SHIT WEDNESDAY!
Climate Change Linked To Tectonic Shift
Science has known for years that tectonic shift affects climate. Changing mountain ranges and sea trenches have long been known to have an effect on the weather. However, a recent study released reveals that the reverse may also be true-- that more radical weather shifts can cause stronger earthquakes, for instance.
"Understanding why plates change direction and speed is key to unlocking huge seismic events such as last month's Japan earthquake, which shifted the Earth's axis by several inches, or February's New Zealand quake.
"An Australian-led team of researchers from France and Germany found that the strengthening Indian monsoon had accelerated movement of the Indian plate over the past 10 million years by a factor of about 20 percent.
"Lead researcher Giampiero Iaffaldano said Wednesday that although scientists have long known that tectonic movements influence climate by creating new mountains and sea trenches, his study was the first to show the reverse.
"'The closure or opening of new ocean basins or the build of large mountain bands like the Andes or Tibet itself, those are geological processes that affect the pattern of climate,' said Iaffaldano, an earth scientist with the Australian National University."
The study goes on to stress that this is a slow process. The intensification of weather extremes takes millions of years to change tectonic patterns. It's a fascinating story nonetheless.
[TheRawStory]
IT Manager Sets World Record For Blind Water-Skiing
Smashing the world record of 20 miles, an IT geek from the UK skiied continuously for 23.85 miles. The coolest part of all? Steve Thiele, 45, is blind.
"In an effort to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Ghana Outlook, Thiele announced in December that he would attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest water-skiing distance by a blind person. His initial plan was to head out last weekend and completely circle the island of Anglesey, which would’ve encompassed some 70 miles in total water-skiing.
"The previous distance record for blind water-skiing was 20 miles, and Thiele (though legally blind for 37 years) would have to wear a blindfold, as per requirements set forth by Guinness. Despite his lack of sight, Thiele (a former competitor in the Disabled Water Ski World Championships) uses no special equipment, save for a whistle that he uses to communicate with whomever’s driving the boat."
It only took him an hour, too. Congrats, Steve Thiele!
[Wired]
Ad-Enabled Kindle Available for $114
Amazon has made a killing off of cheap Kindles-- the leader in the digital reader market-- and now have dropped the price an additional $25. The tradeoff? On-screen ads.
"Kindle director Jay Marine revealed the company's plans in an interview with the Associated Press on Monday afternoon. 'It was very important that we didn't interfere with the reading experience,' Marine told the publication, noting that ads would display across the bottom of the screen and on the Kindle's screen saver, but not while the user was reading a Kindle book. 'We think customers are going to love it.'"
Never fear, they aren't going to be doing away with their more expensive Wi-Fi Kindles. I don't know, though, would you take the $25 discount just to deal with annoying ads all the time?
[Ars Technica]
Climate Change Linked To Tectonic Shift
Science has known for years that tectonic shift affects climate. Changing mountain ranges and sea trenches have long been known to have an effect on the weather. However, a recent study released reveals that the reverse may also be true-- that more radical weather shifts can cause stronger earthquakes, for instance.
"Understanding why plates change direction and speed is key to unlocking huge seismic events such as last month's Japan earthquake, which shifted the Earth's axis by several inches, or February's New Zealand quake.
"An Australian-led team of researchers from France and Germany found that the strengthening Indian monsoon had accelerated movement of the Indian plate over the past 10 million years by a factor of about 20 percent.
"Lead researcher Giampiero Iaffaldano said Wednesday that although scientists have long known that tectonic movements influence climate by creating new mountains and sea trenches, his study was the first to show the reverse.
"'The closure or opening of new ocean basins or the build of large mountain bands like the Andes or Tibet itself, those are geological processes that affect the pattern of climate,' said Iaffaldano, an earth scientist with the Australian National University."
The study goes on to stress that this is a slow process. The intensification of weather extremes takes millions of years to change tectonic patterns. It's a fascinating story nonetheless.
[TheRawStory]
IT Manager Sets World Record For Blind Water-Skiing
Smashing the world record of 20 miles, an IT geek from the UK skiied continuously for 23.85 miles. The coolest part of all? Steve Thiele, 45, is blind.
"In an effort to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Ghana Outlook, Thiele announced in December that he would attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest water-skiing distance by a blind person. His initial plan was to head out last weekend and completely circle the island of Anglesey, which would’ve encompassed some 70 miles in total water-skiing.
"The previous distance record for blind water-skiing was 20 miles, and Thiele (though legally blind for 37 years) would have to wear a blindfold, as per requirements set forth by Guinness. Despite his lack of sight, Thiele (a former competitor in the Disabled Water Ski World Championships) uses no special equipment, save for a whistle that he uses to communicate with whomever’s driving the boat."
It only took him an hour, too. Congrats, Steve Thiele!
[Wired]
Ad-Enabled Kindle Available for $114
Amazon has made a killing off of cheap Kindles-- the leader in the digital reader market-- and now have dropped the price an additional $25. The tradeoff? On-screen ads.
"Kindle director Jay Marine revealed the company's plans in an interview with the Associated Press on Monday afternoon. 'It was very important that we didn't interfere with the reading experience,' Marine told the publication, noting that ads would display across the bottom of the screen and on the Kindle's screen saver, but not while the user was reading a Kindle book. 'We think customers are going to love it.'"
Never fear, they aren't going to be doing away with their more expensive Wi-Fi Kindles. I don't know, though, would you take the $25 discount just to deal with annoying ads all the time?
[Ars Technica]
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The 50-Year Anniversary Of The First Man In Space
Half a century ago today, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. First Orbit says:
"Today it is 50 years since Yuri Gagarin climbed into his space ship and was launched into space. It took him just 108 minutes to orbit Earth and he returned as the World's very first space man.
"To mark this historic flight we have teamed up with the astronauts onboard the International Space Station to film a new view of what Yuri would have seen as he travelled around the planet.
"Weaving these new views together with historic voice recordings from Yuri's flight and an original score by composer Philip Sheppard, we have created a spellbinding film to share with people around the World on this historic anniversary."
The video is the full length feature, but worth it. It's kind of haunting.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. VI
Modified THC Blocks Pain Without Getting You Effed Up
As a good Oregonian, I consider it my civic duty to believe in and defend medical marijuana (smokin' weed being, after all, our state's official pasttime). However, it looks like the government's objection to marijuana as medicine (IE: it fucks you up and that's bad) may be going the way of the dinosaur.
Click on the link below, it has tons of info involving breeding mice and an enzyme called glycine. What it all boils down to: They can make it so THC will mediate your pain, naturally, without getting you high. What's not to love (unless you're a stoner)?
[Ars Technica]
Asteroids Buzz The Earth
Two asteroids zoomed past the Earth today at distances closer than the Moon.
"Newly discovered asteroid 2011 GW9 flew within 48,000 miles of Earth twice Wednesday morning at 12:53 a.m. EDT [04:53 UT], according to the Jet Propulsion Lab’s Small Body Database. A second space rock, 2011 GP28, will slip within 120,000 miles of Earth at about 3:36 p.m. [19:36 UT]."
The rocks are measured to be one-third to one-half the size of the rock that impacted near the Tunguska River in Russia in 1908.
[Wired]
Facebook Post Leads To Man Finding Kidney Donor
A sick man's wife was driven to desperation. Facing a three to five year wait, her ailing husband was undergoing health-depleting dialysis treatments. Roxy Kurze posted on Facebook "Wishing a kidney would fall out of the sky so my husband can stop suffering. So if anyone knows of a live donor with type O blood, PLEASE let me know."
An acquaintance of hers saw her post and decided to be a hero. Watch the video below.
[Today]
As a good Oregonian, I consider it my civic duty to believe in and defend medical marijuana (smokin' weed being, after all, our state's official pasttime). However, it looks like the government's objection to marijuana as medicine (IE: it fucks you up and that's bad) may be going the way of the dinosaur.
Click on the link below, it has tons of info involving breeding mice and an enzyme called glycine. What it all boils down to: They can make it so THC will mediate your pain, naturally, without getting you high. What's not to love (unless you're a stoner)?
[Ars Technica]
Asteroids Buzz The Earth
Two asteroids zoomed past the Earth today at distances closer than the Moon.
"Newly discovered asteroid 2011 GW9 flew within 48,000 miles of Earth twice Wednesday morning at 12:53 a.m. EDT [04:53 UT], according to the Jet Propulsion Lab’s Small Body Database. A second space rock, 2011 GP28, will slip within 120,000 miles of Earth at about 3:36 p.m. [19:36 UT]."
And me without my Atari.
The rocks are measured to be one-third to one-half the size of the rock that impacted near the Tunguska River in Russia in 1908.
[Wired]
Facebook Post Leads To Man Finding Kidney Donor
A sick man's wife was driven to desperation. Facing a three to five year wait, her ailing husband was undergoing health-depleting dialysis treatments. Roxy Kurze posted on Facebook "Wishing a kidney would fall out of the sky so my husband can stop suffering. So if anyone knows of a live donor with type O blood, PLEASE let me know."
An acquaintance of hers saw her post and decided to be a hero. Watch the video below.
[Today]
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. IV
Ta-Da!
Rep. Boehner Vows To Defund Net Neutrality
In a move that has some scratching their heads, Speaker Boehner of Clan Wingnut today blasted the FCC's net neutrality rules, threatening to defund them all in the name of protecting internet freedoms.
"'There is no compromise or middle ground when it comes to protecting our most basic freedoms,' Rep. Boehner said, adding that the Republican majority in the House was committed to fighting the new regulations.
"'We’re also going to do what we can to see that no taxpayer dollars are used to fund these net neutrality rules,' he said."
Whose freedoms is he protecting, exactly? Fox News' freedom to have their content prioritized over YouTube's? This just grosses me out-- he's totally trying to make a dime for himself and his friend by playing on the fears of the uneducated about Freedom of Speech. I myself had to ask a friend exactly what was going on in this complicated issue-- can you imagine what Joe Blow thinks when Boehner runs around telling people the government is going to run the Internet?
[TheRawStory]
Miscanthus: This Isn't The "Grass" Your Mom Used To Use As "Biofuel"
Biofuels are all the rage, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, where friends of mine routinely flip off Hummers just to show that FOSSIL FUELS SUCK!!!11!!
The recent biofuel alternatives, however, have been less than stellar-- corn, for instance, drives up the already growing price of food, while having an awful environmental impact during its production. Well, stand back, guys, cuz it's SCIENCE to the rescue!
In a recently published study, a grass called miscanthus has been vetted as an alternative fuel source-- with some startling results.
"Biofuel crops have the potential to offset the world's reliance on fossil fuels, increasing energy security and decreasing the risk of climate change. However, the choice of crops and target fuel can radically change their impact, as issues like fertilization and ease of processing come into play. But, as a paper released by PNAS points out, these aren't the only things that change when you shift the crop. The paper suggests that switching from corn to a perennial grass can alter the water cycle and sunlight absorption so dramatically that it will have a larger impact than the carbon emissions that biofuels avoid."
While the study makes some unrealistic assumptions-- for instance, replanting all arable land in the US with miscanthus-- it indicates that the benefits of switching our biofuel industry could be multiple, ranging from (of course) being an alternative to oil to actually increasing the albedo of our planet-- thus reducing the overall temperature.
Click the article on Ars Technica, it's pretty fascinating.
[Ars Technica]
Watch Out, Ebay: Used Electronics Can Now Be Hawked For Immediate Gratification
ecoATM, a new start-up based out of beautiful San Diego, has begun distributing futuristic kiosks that allow you to drop off your used electronics and receive cash-- instantly.
"It claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.
"The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes (see below) — but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to CMO and co-founder Mark Bowles. Bowles and team are mum on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices."
Yowza! Need beer money? Drop off your Razor here! Neat!
[Mashable]
Rep. Boehner Vows To Defund Net Neutrality
In a move that has some scratching their heads, Speaker Boehner of Clan Wingnut today blasted the FCC's net neutrality rules, threatening to defund them all in the name of protecting internet freedoms.
"'There is no compromise or middle ground when it comes to protecting our most basic freedoms,' Rep. Boehner said, adding that the Republican majority in the House was committed to fighting the new regulations.
"'We’re also going to do what we can to see that no taxpayer dollars are used to fund these net neutrality rules,' he said."
Whose freedoms is he protecting, exactly? Fox News' freedom to have their content prioritized over YouTube's? This just grosses me out-- he's totally trying to make a dime for himself and his friend by playing on the fears of the uneducated about Freedom of Speech. I myself had to ask a friend exactly what was going on in this complicated issue-- can you imagine what Joe Blow thinks when Boehner runs around telling people the government is going to run the Internet?
[TheRawStory]
Miscanthus: This Isn't The "Grass" Your Mom Used To Use As "Biofuel"
Biofuels are all the rage, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, where friends of mine routinely flip off Hummers just to show that FOSSIL FUELS SUCK!!!11!!
The recent biofuel alternatives, however, have been less than stellar-- corn, for instance, drives up the already growing price of food, while having an awful environmental impact during its production. Well, stand back, guys, cuz it's SCIENCE to the rescue!
In a recently published study, a grass called miscanthus has been vetted as an alternative fuel source-- with some startling results.
"Biofuel crops have the potential to offset the world's reliance on fossil fuels, increasing energy security and decreasing the risk of climate change. However, the choice of crops and target fuel can radically change their impact, as issues like fertilization and ease of processing come into play. But, as a paper released by PNAS points out, these aren't the only things that change when you shift the crop. The paper suggests that switching from corn to a perennial grass can alter the water cycle and sunlight absorption so dramatically that it will have a larger impact than the carbon emissions that biofuels avoid."
While the study makes some unrealistic assumptions-- for instance, replanting all arable land in the US with miscanthus-- it indicates that the benefits of switching our biofuel industry could be multiple, ranging from (of course) being an alternative to oil to actually increasing the albedo of our planet-- thus reducing the overall temperature.
Click the article on Ars Technica, it's pretty fascinating.
[Ars Technica]
Watch Out, Ebay: Used Electronics Can Now Be Hawked For Immediate Gratification
ecoATM, a new start-up based out of beautiful San Diego, has begun distributing futuristic kiosks that allow you to drop off your used electronics and receive cash-- instantly.
"It claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.
"The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes (see below) — but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to CMO and co-founder Mark Bowles. Bowles and team are mum on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices."
Yowza! Need beer money? Drop off your Razor here! Neat!
[Mashable]
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Environmental Protection Agency Under Fire For... Uh, Protecting The Environment. Yeeeeeeah.
In yet another stunning move of pure brilliance, key GOP legislators criticized the EPA for imposing rules designed to ensure the future of life on Earth. Because, of course, it would hamper the refinery and coal power plant business and the US would lose jobs.
"'I know American manufacturers can compete -- but not if they are saddled with burdensome regulations that put us at an unfair advantage,' Representative Fred Upton, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee told a hearing on Wednesday on his new bill.
"Upton and other Republicans said rapidly developing countries such as China were not placing the same rules on their businesses, so some manufacturing could be forced abroad."
Of course, the head of the EPA disputed the nay-saying, stating that 1.5 million temporary jobs would be created under the new rules as the need to update pollution-spewing facilities would require more construction and engineers.
She's wrong of course! Clearly we're going to outsource power generation to China. Now, about building that powerline spanning the Pacific Ocean...
These dingbats. Fighting the future by quoting junk science isn't really fooling anyone that climate change isn't real. It is real-- and, to sound like my mother, I don't care what the neighbors are doing. We live in the "shining city upon a hill" and we are supposed to be doing the right thing. We are leaders, and we can encourage everyone to follow suit in protecting our planet by leading the way and educating foreign leadership.
In short: Don't be a jackass.
[Reuters]
"'I know American manufacturers can compete -- but not if they are saddled with burdensome regulations that put us at an unfair advantage,' Representative Fred Upton, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee told a hearing on Wednesday on his new bill.
"Upton and other Republicans said rapidly developing countries such as China were not placing the same rules on their businesses, so some manufacturing could be forced abroad."
Of course, the head of the EPA disputed the nay-saying, stating that 1.5 million temporary jobs would be created under the new rules as the need to update pollution-spewing facilities would require more construction and engineers.
She's wrong of course! Clearly we're going to outsource power generation to China. Now, about building that powerline spanning the Pacific Ocean...
Some would have our domestic policy determined by an autocrat's rule in Beijing. I say: Fuck those guys! Imma do what I want!
These dingbats. Fighting the future by quoting junk science isn't really fooling anyone that climate change isn't real. It is real-- and, to sound like my mother, I don't care what the neighbors are doing. We live in the "shining city upon a hill" and we are supposed to be doing the right thing. We are leaders, and we can encourage everyone to follow suit in protecting our planet by leading the way and educating foreign leadership.
In short: Don't be a jackass.
[Reuters]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)