- October 1 : World Vegetarian Day
- October 2 : Name Your Car Day
- October 3 : Virus Appreciation Day
- October 4 : National Frappe Day
- October 5 : International Frugal Fun Day
- October 6 : Come and Take it Day
- October 7 : Bald and Free Day
- October 8 : American Touch Tag Day
- October 9 : Curious Events Day
- October 10 : National Angel Food Cake Day
- October 11 : World Egg Day
- October 12 : Moment of Frustration Day
- October 13 : International Skeptics Day
- October 14 : Columbus Day
- October 15 : White Cane Safety Day
- October 16 : Bosses Day
- October 17 : Wear Something Gaudy Day
- October 18 : No Beard Day
- October 19 : Evaluate Your Life Day
- October 20 : Brandied Fruit Day
- October 21 : Count Your Buttons Day
- October 22 : National Nut Day
- October 23 : National Mole Day
- October 24 : National Bologna Day
- October 25 : World Pasta Day
- October 26 : National Mincemeat Day
- October 27 : Mother-In-Law Day
- October 28 : Plush Animal Lover's Day
- October 29 : Hermit Day
- October 30 : National Candy Corn Day
- October 31 : Increase Your Psychic Powers Day
Saturday, September 28, 2013
The Month of October
This month has National holidays :
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (Sept. 20, 2013)
Arctic Minimum
Arctic sea ice melted to the lowest extent of the year on Sept. 13, reaching the sixth-lowest coverage in the satellite observation record from 1979 to 2013. The 2 million square miles of ice coverage left on that last year's record low. In September 2012, the collapse of sea ice broke all records when the polar ice cap melted to only 1.3 million square miles. This year's minimum was also considerably lower than the average set over the past 30 years. Climate models have consistently projected that there will be large variations in summer ice from year to year. But some climate change skeptics claim the "rebound" of the Arctic sea ice is proof that the prevailing scientific view of a warming planet is wrong. "What matters is that the 10 lowest (sea ice) extents recorded have happened during the last 10 years," said Walt Meier, a glaciologist with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "The long-term trend is strongly downward."
Earthquakes
A wide stretch of central Greece was jolted by a moderate earthquake that was also felt in the capital of Athens.
* Earth movements were also felt in eastern Turkey, western Bulgaria, eastern Taiwan, southern Kansas and inside northwest Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park.
Sumatra Eruptions
A western Indonesia volcano sent more than 15,000 people fleeing for their lives when it suddenly roared back to life. The two eruptions of Mount Sinabung pelted nearby villages with superheated rocks that ignited forest fires on the volcano's slopes.
Antibiotic Warning
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called on the health care industry and agriculture to cut back on the use of antibiotics to avoid worsening resistance to the medications. "If we don't act now, our medicine cabinet will be empty and we won't have the antibiotics we need to save lives," warned CDC director Tom Frieden. The center estimates that 23,000 Americans die each year due to bacteria already resistant to even the most potent forms of the medicine. It warns that patients need to understand that antibiotics are not the solution to every illness, and that half of the prescriptions written for them by doctors are unnecessary. Pressure is also mounting for the FDA to ban feeding antibiotics to livestock just to fatten them up.
Tropical Cyclones
The broad and entwined circulations of Hurricane Manuel in the Pacific and Hurricane Ingrid in the western Gulf of Mexico created "historic" flooding and mudslides that killed at least 80 people across Mexico. The Pacific resort of Acapulco was especially affected, with at least 21 people perishing in mudslides that buried several homes. Ingrid was responsible for numerous deaths in the south and east of the country.
* Almost the entire length of Japan was drenched by Typhoon Man-yi, which caused "unprecedented" flooding that forced a quarter of a million people into shelters. The excessive rainfall also forced the Tokyo Electric Power Co. to discharge accumulating radioactive water from the meltdown-plagued Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific to prevent the complex from flooding.
* Typhoon Usagi was taking aim on South China late in the week.
Hawaiian Spill
Tens of thousands of fish died in Honolulu Harbor after 1,400 tons of molasses spilled from a leaky pipe as the sugary substance was being moved from storage tanks to a ship. The Hawaii Department of Health said that no endangered species have been identified among the more than 26,000 dead fish, shellfish and other marine life collected. Officials said the spill was one of the worst man-made disasters to strike Hawaii in recent memory. "There's nothing you can do to clean up molasses," said Jeff Hull, a spokesman for Matson Inc., the shipping company responsible for the leak. "It's sunk to the bottom of the harbor. Unlike oil, which can be cleaned from the surface, molasses sinks."
Bird Friendship Study
Shy "birds of a feather" do flock together, according to a new study. Researchers from Oxford University and the Australian National University, who analyzed the social network of great tits near Oxford, discovered that shy male and female birds don't interact with as many different individuals as their bolder counterparts, but they also tend to have more stable relationships. That means they are with the same individuals more often over time. Thousands of birds in the study were tagged with tiny RFID transponders that allowed them to be tracked over an entire winter by sensors at 65 feeding stations. The researchers conclude that the difference in behavior is likely due to the differing responses to risk ----- with shy birds tending to engage in low-risk/low-reward behavior while their bolder counterparts engage in high-risk/high-reward activities.
F. Y. I.
Small Wonder
Human eyes have more than 2 million working parts.
Of Note
The first spam message was transmitted over the telegraph in 1864.
Still on the Books
In Texas, it is illegal to graffiti someone's cow.
Quotable
by Thomas Merton, author and Trappist monk (1915-1968)
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."
Presidents' Files
Harry S. Truman's middle name is just S ----- and stands for nothing.
State Stats
Alaska has more caribou than people.
Human eyes have more than 2 million working parts.
Of Note
The first spam message was transmitted over the telegraph in 1864.
Still on the Books
In Texas, it is illegal to graffiti someone's cow.
Quotable
by Thomas Merton, author and Trappist monk (1915-1968)
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."
Presidents' Files
Harry S. Truman's middle name is just S ----- and stands for nothing.
State Stats
Alaska has more caribou than people.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (Sept. 13, 2013)
Interstellar Wind Shift
A cloud of particles from dep space streaming past Earth in an "interstellar wind" has significantly changed direction over the past 40 years, according to observations from 11 seperate spacecraft. The movement of the Earth and solar system through the Milky Way creates an apparent wind that doesn't have much of an effect on our planet. Scientists had thought the wind's direction would remain pretty much constant for millions of years given the vast distances of interstellar space. But turbulence within the cloud, which is about 30 light-years across, appears to have shifted the wind's direction by 6 degrees in only 40 years. It's either that, or the solar system is only about 1,000 years from punching out of the cloud, according to an international team of NASA researchers. The findings are helping scientists map Earth's location and movement within the Milky Way.
Hyena Terror
Attacks by rabid hyenas in eastern Zimbabwe are forcing residents to remain indoors at night and leaving many too afraid to collect food even during the day. The Herald reports that the animals had previously gone after only livestock. But it says an expanding population and development are now bringing humans into contact with the mainly nocturnal predators. "We used to hear hyenas laughing from a distance, and everyone knew that they would not travel all that way to attack humans," councilman Charles Mukanwa told the Harare-based daily. "But now the situation is different. We have people who are building their houses where the wild animals used to dominate." A recent attack took villagers by surprise as one of the apparently rabid animals attacked people sitting in their huts.
Radioactive Dilema
The company that operates Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant conceded that highly radioactive water has reached the groundwater beneath the meltdown-plaqued facility. Water samples from a well at the plant contained 3,200 becquerels per liter of beta-ray-emitting materials, including strontium. The discovery is likely to complicate efforts to seal off the groundwater by freezing the land around the plant. Meanwhile, a group representing Japanese fishing cooperatives has slammed the government's plan to dump radioactive water from tanks at the plant into the Pacific as a way to cope with the increase in leaks.
Tropical Cyclones
Hurricane Humberto virtually tied with 2002's Hurricane Gustav in becoming the latest first hurricane to form during the Atlantic hurricane season. Humberto skirted the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical storm before attaining hurricane force at nearly the same hour Gustav did on the morning of Sept. 11.
* A re-formed Tropical Storm Gabrielle lashed Bermuda before later drenching Canada's Maritime Provinces and eventually disipating over the far North Atlantic.
Earthquakes
Guatemala's strongest quake in nearly a year wrecked a few poorly built homes in the west of the country late on Sept. 6. Shaking from the temblor was felt widely from southern Mexico to El Salvador.
* Earth movements were also felt in western Romania, eastern Afghanistan and neighboring parts of Pakistan, Indonesia's northern Sulawesi Island and around Anchorage, Alaska.
Massive Volcano
The world's largest volcano, and one of the biggest in the entire solar system, has been discovered on the Pacific seabed about 1,000 miles east of Japan. A team of scientists from the University of Houston found that the nowdormat volcano covers an area of about 120,000 square miles and is about 145 million years old. The massive basalt structure that forms the volcano came from a single point of eruption located at its center, according to lead researcher William Sager. The volcano's new name, Tamu Massif, is a combination of the abbreviation for Texas A&M University, where Sager worked for decades, and the French word for "massive."
Stork 'Spy' Eaten
A migrating stork that was "jailed" in Egypt late last month under suspicion of being a winged spy, then later released, has been killed and eaten by villagers, according to the country's leading conservation group. Dubbed "Menes" after initially being incarcerated, the stork was carrying a large electronic tracking device that European wildlife researchers were using to plot its migration. Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) soon convinced officials in the Qena government. 280 miles southeast of Cairo, to release the guileless jailbird. But within days, villagers near Aswan had killed and eaten Menes. "Storks have been part of the Nubian diet for thousands of years, so the actual act of eating storks is not in itself a unique practice. However, the short-lived success story of getting Menes released was mot enough to keep him safe till he exited Egypt," NCE said on its Facebook page.
A cloud of particles from dep space streaming past Earth in an "interstellar wind" has significantly changed direction over the past 40 years, according to observations from 11 seperate spacecraft. The movement of the Earth and solar system through the Milky Way creates an apparent wind that doesn't have much of an effect on our planet. Scientists had thought the wind's direction would remain pretty much constant for millions of years given the vast distances of interstellar space. But turbulence within the cloud, which is about 30 light-years across, appears to have shifted the wind's direction by 6 degrees in only 40 years. It's either that, or the solar system is only about 1,000 years from punching out of the cloud, according to an international team of NASA researchers. The findings are helping scientists map Earth's location and movement within the Milky Way.
Hyena Terror
Attacks by rabid hyenas in eastern Zimbabwe are forcing residents to remain indoors at night and leaving many too afraid to collect food even during the day. The Herald reports that the animals had previously gone after only livestock. But it says an expanding population and development are now bringing humans into contact with the mainly nocturnal predators. "We used to hear hyenas laughing from a distance, and everyone knew that they would not travel all that way to attack humans," councilman Charles Mukanwa told the Harare-based daily. "But now the situation is different. We have people who are building their houses where the wild animals used to dominate." A recent attack took villagers by surprise as one of the apparently rabid animals attacked people sitting in their huts.
Radioactive Dilema
The company that operates Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant conceded that highly radioactive water has reached the groundwater beneath the meltdown-plaqued facility. Water samples from a well at the plant contained 3,200 becquerels per liter of beta-ray-emitting materials, including strontium. The discovery is likely to complicate efforts to seal off the groundwater by freezing the land around the plant. Meanwhile, a group representing Japanese fishing cooperatives has slammed the government's plan to dump radioactive water from tanks at the plant into the Pacific as a way to cope with the increase in leaks.
Tropical Cyclones
Hurricane Humberto virtually tied with 2002's Hurricane Gustav in becoming the latest first hurricane to form during the Atlantic hurricane season. Humberto skirted the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical storm before attaining hurricane force at nearly the same hour Gustav did on the morning of Sept. 11.
* A re-formed Tropical Storm Gabrielle lashed Bermuda before later drenching Canada's Maritime Provinces and eventually disipating over the far North Atlantic.
Earthquakes
Guatemala's strongest quake in nearly a year wrecked a few poorly built homes in the west of the country late on Sept. 6. Shaking from the temblor was felt widely from southern Mexico to El Salvador.
* Earth movements were also felt in western Romania, eastern Afghanistan and neighboring parts of Pakistan, Indonesia's northern Sulawesi Island and around Anchorage, Alaska.
Massive Volcano
The world's largest volcano, and one of the biggest in the entire solar system, has been discovered on the Pacific seabed about 1,000 miles east of Japan. A team of scientists from the University of Houston found that the nowdormat volcano covers an area of about 120,000 square miles and is about 145 million years old. The massive basalt structure that forms the volcano came from a single point of eruption located at its center, according to lead researcher William Sager. The volcano's new name, Tamu Massif, is a combination of the abbreviation for Texas A&M University, where Sager worked for decades, and the French word for "massive."
Stork 'Spy' Eaten
A migrating stork that was "jailed" in Egypt late last month under suspicion of being a winged spy, then later released, has been killed and eaten by villagers, according to the country's leading conservation group. Dubbed "Menes" after initially being incarcerated, the stork was carrying a large electronic tracking device that European wildlife researchers were using to plot its migration. Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) soon convinced officials in the Qena government. 280 miles southeast of Cairo, to release the guileless jailbird. But within days, villagers near Aswan had killed and eaten Menes. "Storks have been part of the Nubian diet for thousands of years, so the actual act of eating storks is not in itself a unique practice. However, the short-lived success story of getting Menes released was mot enough to keep him safe till he exited Egypt," NCE said on its Facebook page.
We Salute September :
Better Breakfast Month
- Breakfast is important because it sets the stage for all daily metabolic function.
- Breakfast "breaks the fast" after a long night of sleep.
- Breakfast contributes much needed energy for the rest of the day.
- Eating breakfast seems to prevent spikes in blood glucose later in the day.
- Eating a nutritious breakfast supports learning & academic achievement.
Did You Know ?
September is also known as :
What's Your Favorite ?
- Classical Music Month
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Fall Hat Month
- International Square Dancing Month
- National Blueberry Popsicle Month
- National Courtesy Month
- National Piano Month
- Chicken Month
- Baby Safety Month
- Little League Month
- Honey Month
- Self Improvement Month
- Better Breakfast Month
What's Your Favorite ?
Pop Quiz (Presidential Pets)
In honor of Sunny, the Obamas' new puppy, this will test your knowledge of White House companions.
1. In 1878, an American diplomat sent Rutherford B. Haye's wife the very first ________ cat ever seen in the U.S.
2. The Marquis de Lafayette presented John Quincy Adams with what unusual pet, which he kept in a bathtub?
a) An octopus
b) An alligator
c) An otter
3. In 1952, 60 million viewers watched Richard Nixon give his famous "Checkers" speech.
What dog breed was Checkers?
a) Cocker spaniel
b) Beagle
c) Fox terrier
4. True or False : Andrew Jackson's parrot swore so much at Jackson's funeral that it had to be removed from the service.
5. What problem did the Clintons have with their cat, an adopted stray named Socks?
a) He clawed the sofas in the Oval Office.
b) He became overweight thanks to people food.
c) He hated Buddy, the "first dog".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Siamese ; 2. b ; 3. a ; 4. True ; 5. c
1. In 1878, an American diplomat sent Rutherford B. Haye's wife the very first ________ cat ever seen in the U.S.
2. The Marquis de Lafayette presented John Quincy Adams with what unusual pet, which he kept in a bathtub?
a) An octopus
b) An alligator
c) An otter
3. In 1952, 60 million viewers watched Richard Nixon give his famous "Checkers" speech.
What dog breed was Checkers?
a) Cocker spaniel
b) Beagle
c) Fox terrier
4. True or False : Andrew Jackson's parrot swore so much at Jackson's funeral that it had to be removed from the service.
5. What problem did the Clintons have with their cat, an adopted stray named Socks?
a) He clawed the sofas in the Oval Office.
b) He became overweight thanks to people food.
c) He hated Buddy, the "first dog".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Siamese ; 2. b ; 3. a ; 4. True ; 5. c
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Claire Danes, actor
"The point of acting is to.........connect. Acting is the greatest answer to my loneliness that I have found."
Slow Gain
Corals take a long time to grow, with some increasing by less than half an inch each year.
In Other Worlds
Barbie's boyfriend Ken was initially not sold in India because it clashed with the tradition of arranged marriage.
Still on the Books
In Dyersburg, Tenn., it is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
by Claire Danes, actor
"The point of acting is to.........connect. Acting is the greatest answer to my loneliness that I have found."
Slow Gain
Corals take a long time to grow, with some increasing by less than half an inch each year.
In Other Worlds
Barbie's boyfriend Ken was initially not sold in India because it clashed with the tradition of arranged marriage.
Still on the Books
In Dyersburg, Tenn., it is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
Friday, September 13, 2013
No drinking under 21 --- no 'buts' about it.
After placing my items on the belt at a small grocery store in New Jersey, I was surprised to look up and see a teenage girl in front of me getting handcuffed by police. The employee at the cash register was herself a teenager, and when I asked her what was going on, she told me the girl was buying alcohol and, "Well, it's against the law."
It is against the law. The legal age for drinking is 21 ---- no ifs, ands, or buts. Well, maybe one "but" : In New Jersey, parents can serve alcohol to their own teens in their own homes. In Pennsylvania, there are no exceptions.
One of my patients got drunk at a high schol party and was taken to the hospital and then the police department. Not being allowed to remain the captain of her sports team was the least of the problems that ensued.
Parents are always legally liable when their children drink to the point of drunkenness or become ill. And parents are never permitted to serve alcohol to anyone else's children.
Zero tolerance for DUI
All states have zero-tolerance laws for teen drinking and driving. If drivers under 21 are caught driving with any alcohol in their blood, they will be charged with driving under the influence.
Another patient of mine began crying when she told me about her 18-year-old brother, who died in a motor-vehicle accident. He had been drinking and driving.
Drinking Kills
Why are the laws so strict?
Traffic crashes are the No.1 cause of death for teenagers in the United States, and 31 percent of those young drivers had been drinking.
Sometimes parents are part of the problem. A survey of youths ages 13 to 18 by the American Medical Association found:
40 percent said it was easy to obtain alcohol from a friend's parent.
25 percent attended a party where minors were drinking in front of parents.
I heard about a group of teen camp counselors who went to the Shore for the weekend and got drunk on the beach. They were arrested, and their parents had to drive down to to face their teens' consequences.
Breaking the law has consequences. Teenagers caught buying, drinking, possessing, or transporting alcohol may be fined, jailed, and have their driver's licenses suspended. Parents who sell or furnish alcohol to minors may also be fined and jailed.
A juvenile criminal record isn't automatically erased. When a teen is charged with underage drinking in Pennsylvania, for example, the court will keep his or her record for 25 years unless an expungement is granted, and police records may be kept even longer. That may make getting a job more difficult.
"Mistakes happen," but this kind should be prevented.
My advice : Share this information with your teenagers and other adults.
We all need to know the law.
It is against the law. The legal age for drinking is 21 ---- no ifs, ands, or buts. Well, maybe one "but" : In New Jersey, parents can serve alcohol to their own teens in their own homes. In Pennsylvania, there are no exceptions.
One of my patients got drunk at a high schol party and was taken to the hospital and then the police department. Not being allowed to remain the captain of her sports team was the least of the problems that ensued.
Parents are always legally liable when their children drink to the point of drunkenness or become ill. And parents are never permitted to serve alcohol to anyone else's children.
Zero tolerance for DUI
All states have zero-tolerance laws for teen drinking and driving. If drivers under 21 are caught driving with any alcohol in their blood, they will be charged with driving under the influence.
Another patient of mine began crying when she told me about her 18-year-old brother, who died in a motor-vehicle accident. He had been drinking and driving.
Drinking Kills
Why are the laws so strict?
Traffic crashes are the No.1 cause of death for teenagers in the United States, and 31 percent of those young drivers had been drinking.
Sometimes parents are part of the problem. A survey of youths ages 13 to 18 by the American Medical Association found:
40 percent said it was easy to obtain alcohol from a friend's parent.
25 percent attended a party where minors were drinking in front of parents.
I heard about a group of teen camp counselors who went to the Shore for the weekend and got drunk on the beach. They were arrested, and their parents had to drive down to to face their teens' consequences.
Breaking the law has consequences. Teenagers caught buying, drinking, possessing, or transporting alcohol may be fined, jailed, and have their driver's licenses suspended. Parents who sell or furnish alcohol to minors may also be fined and jailed.
A juvenile criminal record isn't automatically erased. When a teen is charged with underage drinking in Pennsylvania, for example, the court will keep his or her record for 25 years unless an expungement is granted, and police records may be kept even longer. That may make getting a job more difficult.
"Mistakes happen," but this kind should be prevented.
My advice : Share this information with your teenagers and other adults.
We all need to know the law.
F. Y. I.
Film Firsts
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" was the first American film to show a toilet flushing.
Replaced by Ronald
Speedee, a chef with a hamburger-shaped face, was the original McDonald's mascot.
Still on the Books
In Zion, Ill., it is illegal to give a pet a lighted cigar.
State Stats
In Death Valley, Nev., the kangaroo rat can live its entire life without drinking a drop of liquid.
Quotable
by Agatha Christie, English author (1890-1976)
"It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story."
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" was the first American film to show a toilet flushing.
Replaced by Ronald
Speedee, a chef with a hamburger-shaped face, was the original McDonald's mascot.
Still on the Books
In Zion, Ill., it is illegal to give a pet a lighted cigar.
State Stats
In Death Valley, Nev., the kangaroo rat can live its entire life without drinking a drop of liquid.
Quotable
by Agatha Christie, English author (1890-1976)
"It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story."
Common-sense precautions can help in Lightning Storms
I love to go outside during a summer thunderstorm, but my sister is convinced I'll get hit by lightning. Do I really need to head inside when there's storm brewing?
At the end of a stiflingly hot and humid day, when lightning flashes and thunder rumbles, it can be tempting to head outside into the cool deluge. When I was young, I did that a lot. (In fact, I did a lot of crazy things. That's because, like many young people, I thought I was immortal. Yes, in the back of my mind, I knew that people die. I guess I thought there might be an exception in my case.)
Today, I know better, and I stay indoors during electrical storms. Lightning strikes that accompany thunderstorms can be hazardous. There's a lot of electricity in a bolt of lightning. Don't misunderstand : Getting hit by lightning is not inevitably fatal. In fact, most people live to tell the tale.
Lightning can cause first-and second-degree burns. Survivors of lightning-related injuries may end up with neurological and eye problems. And many victims experience bad, unrelinting headaches for several months.
When lightning does cause death, cardiac arrest is the most common cause. That's because the electricity scrambles the heart's electrical system and sets off dangerous irregular heart rhythms.
Here are some tips for staying safe in a thunderstorm :
At the end of a stiflingly hot and humid day, when lightning flashes and thunder rumbles, it can be tempting to head outside into the cool deluge. When I was young, I did that a lot. (In fact, I did a lot of crazy things. That's because, like many young people, I thought I was immortal. Yes, in the back of my mind, I knew that people die. I guess I thought there might be an exception in my case.)
Today, I know better, and I stay indoors during electrical storms. Lightning strikes that accompany thunderstorms can be hazardous. There's a lot of electricity in a bolt of lightning. Don't misunderstand : Getting hit by lightning is not inevitably fatal. In fact, most people live to tell the tale.
Lightning can cause first-and second-degree burns. Survivors of lightning-related injuries may end up with neurological and eye problems. And many victims experience bad, unrelinting headaches for several months.
When lightning does cause death, cardiac arrest is the most common cause. That's because the electricity scrambles the heart's electrical system and sets off dangerous irregular heart rhythms.
Here are some tips for staying safe in a thunderstorm :
- Seek shelter in a vehicle. If a car or bus gets hit, the electrical current stays on the outside of the metal shell of the vehicle.
- Seek shelter in a large structure and avoid small structures. Small buildings such as bus shelters or huts on golf courses may increase the risk of lightning injury if they are the tallest objects in an area. Metal poles in tents can act as lightning rods.
- Stay away from clearings and single trees. If you are in the woods, don't head for a clearing. Take cover in an area with small trees or bushes. If you're in an open area, don't stand near an isolated tree. Instead, find a low-lying area and squat with your feet together and hands over your ears.
- Don't wait till the clouds are overhead. Lightning can travel far ahead of the storm clouds producing rain. Light travels a lot faster than sound; that's why you usually see a flash of lightning and hear the thunder later. That difference in the speed of light and the speed of sound helps you to guess how far away the lightning is. Seek shelter when the time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is 30 seconds or less.
- Don't go outside for at least 30 minutes after the last lightning seen. This is a good general rule of thumb. If it's been a half-hour since the last lightning, the storm causing the lightning probably has passed.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (Sept. 6, 2013)
Climate Deadline
The U.N.'s chief climate scientist says the world is at "five minutes before midnight" when it comes to the deadline for averting severe climate change. Rajendra Pachauri told reporters that humanity can no longer be content kicking the can down the road in coping with greenhouse gas emissions, which are the root cause of our warming planet. His comments came less than a month before the first volume of the U.N.'s next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report will be released. It will look at the scientific evidence for climate change and be followed by two more volumes next year that will focus on the impacts of a warmer world and the options for tackling them. A leaked draft of the first volume two weeks ago said that human activity is almost certainly behind climate change. Recent studies revealed the deep oceans have absorbed most of the accumulating warmth since the turn of the 21st century, with global land-based temperature trends remaining relatively flat.
Two-Toned Rarity
A maine fisherman made a 1-in-50 million catch when he pulled in a lobster that is almost exactly half orange and half brown. Jeff Edwards donated the rarity to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute after snapping a few photos. "It looked as if someone had taken painter's tape and run it from proboscis to tail, then spray-painted one side. It's a perfectly straight line," institute specialist Alan Lishness told Reuters. "You don't usually see such hard edges in nature." Atlantic lobsters are typically greenish-brown in color, and turn red only after being cooked. Only albino lobsters are less likely to turn up in a trap than the kind caught by Edwards.
Radiation Spike
Radiation levels jumped nearly 18-fold near a tank containing highly contaminated water from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. An announcement from Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said that the radiation was measured at 2,200 millisieverts per hour, which is a record high and enough to kill an unprotected person within hours. It was unclear if the spike was caused by yet another spill of contaminated water at the plant, which has been a growing problem in recent weeks. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said TEPCO cannot store the radioactive water forever, and it will eventually need to be dumped into the Pacific. The country's national fishermen's organization recently criticized TEPCO's mangement for its bungling of the disaster since a March 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns at the plant. Fleets have been waiting to resume fishing off Fukushima for more than two years.
Earthquakes
Five people were killed and thousands forced to flee their homes when a 5.8 magnitude quake struck southwestern China's Sichuan province.
* Earth movements were also felt over a wide area from Indonesia's Banda Sea to the Australiancity of Darwin, and in southern Japan, far northern India, Costa Rica, the Aleutian Islands and eastern Texas.
Tropical Cyclones
Southern Japan's Kyushu Island was drenched by Tropical Storm Toraji.
* Tropical Storm Kiko formed briefly off Baja California.
* Puerto Rico and Hispaniola were soaked by Tropical Storm Gabrielle.
Andean Explosions
Peru's Ubinas volcano produced five thermal blasts within a two-day period, sending ash and volcanic gases soaring high above the northern Andes Mountains. Geologists say the explosions were due to the accumulation of melted snow in Ubina's crater. "It's like pouring cold water on a hot plate. That will cause a reaction," said seismologist Victor Aguilar, of the University of San Agustin in Arequipa. In 2006, Ubinas belched ash, smoke and toxic gas over southeastern Peru, killing livestock and polluting water supplies. It had previously been dormant for nearly 40 years.
Drunken Elk
A gang of elk held a Swedish man captive in his own home for hours after the animals became drunk from eating fermented apples on the homeowner's lawn. Stockholm police say they were called to the residence on Ingaro island, in the city's eastern suburbs, where a man said his front door was being blocked by four adult elk and a calf. The elk had moved on before the authorities arrived. "I'm not surprised that he called the police when he was faced with a gang of five drunken elk," police spokesman Albin Naverberg told TheLocal.se website. "They can be really dangerous. They become fearless. Instead of backing away when a person approaches, they move toward you." Drunken elk are a reoccurring problem at this time of year in Sweden. In 2002, a drunken bull elk was shot after it attacked an 8-year-old boy. Another intemperate elk laid siege to a Swedish schoolhouse in November 2006.
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. Despite the Beach Boys reputation, Dennis Wilson was the only band member who knew how to do what?
2. During what decade did all American women first gain the right to vote?
3. In books on group psychology, Charles MacKay wrote about "the madness of" and James Surowiecki about "the wisdom of "what?
4. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, TLC recorded a new version of what hit single, with a Japanese singer guesting on Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes's rap verse?
5. What name is shared by the pro football teams in Detroit and Vancouver, British Columbia?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Surf
2. The 1920s
3. Crowds
4. "Waterfalls"
5. Lions
Bonus : All are things that roar
In the Good Old Summer Time
Dear Friends of the Good Old Days,
Ah, summertime. When we were kids, those precious three months of escape from the routine of school days produced cherished memories like no other season. George Evans and Ren Shields hit the nail on the head in their classic tune In the Good Old Summer Time when they penned that summer is "a time in each year that we always hold dear."
You may be most familiar with the chorus of their famous song, first heard in a musical comedy show in 1902. Audiences immediately sang along with the lilting description of strolling through a shady lane "with your baby mine."
But I enjoy the more-detailed imagery of the second verse, not quite as well-known :
To swim in the pool,
You'd play "hooky" from school,
Good old summer time;
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
Good old summer time.
Those days full of pleasure
We now fondly treasure,
When we never thought it a crime
To go stealing cherries,
With face brown as berries,
Good old summer time.
That verse perfectly sums up this article of Good Old Days. It's overflowing with stories of those days full of pleasure and the memories now fondly treasured. You'll get to hear the splish-splash of a reader's first experience in a swimming pool, you'll taste the warm sweetness of berries freshly picked from the bushes, and you'll picture that fish caught on the end of a line tossed in a creek.
So go ahead. Pour yourself a tall glass of lemonade, and meander out to a lawn chair in the sun somewhere to savor the Good Old Days in the good old summertime.
Military Quotations
Match these famous quotes from American military lore with the men who made them.
1. "I have not yet begun to fight."
2. "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."
3. "War is hell."
4. "You may fire when ready, Gridley."
5. "I shall return."
6. "We have met the enemy and they are ours."
7. "Don't give up the ship!"
8. "Lafayette, we are here."
A) Oliver Hazard Perry
B) William Tecumseh Sherman
C) Charles Stanton
D) John Paul Jones
E) David Farragut
F) James Lawrence
G) Douglas MacArthur
H) George Dewey
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. D ; 2. E ; 3. B ; 4. H ; 5. G ; 6. A ; 7. F ; 8. C
Do You Remember ?
Question : Where does the name "Ferris Wheel" come from ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer : George W. Ferris designed the first Ferris wheel and had it built for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.
Do you remember your first ride on one ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer : George W. Ferris designed the first Ferris wheel and had it built for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.
Do you remember your first ride on one ?
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is?
1. The warring English royal houses of York and Lancaster both used what flower as their emblem?
2. More than 1 billion online viewers have watched a series of talks on technology, entertainment, and design, known by what acronym?
3. What princess has been the de facto first lady of Monaco since the 1982 death of her mother, Grace Kelly?
4. What nickname for a British policeman comes from Sir Robert Peel, the founder of Scotland Yard?
5. Who is chili dog-eating Diane's small-town boyfriend in John Mellencamp's song from 1982?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Rose
2. Ted
3. Caroline
4. Bobby
5. Jack
Bonus : All are Kennedys
Can you figure out what it is?
1. The warring English royal houses of York and Lancaster both used what flower as their emblem?
2. More than 1 billion online viewers have watched a series of talks on technology, entertainment, and design, known by what acronym?
3. What princess has been the de facto first lady of Monaco since the 1982 death of her mother, Grace Kelly?
4. What nickname for a British policeman comes from Sir Robert Peel, the founder of Scotland Yard?
5. Who is chili dog-eating Diane's small-town boyfriend in John Mellencamp's song from 1982?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Rose
2. Ted
3. Caroline
4. Bobby
5. Jack
Bonus : All are Kennedys
Earthweek: A Diary of the Plant (August 30, 2013)
Pumping Midwest Dry
A vast Midwest groundwater reserve that lies beneath eight U.S. states is being drained so rapidly for agriculture and other activities that it could be mostly used up within 50 years, researchers warn. A team from Kansas State University found that a portion of the High Plains Aquifer, called the Ogallala Aquifer, will be nearly 70 percent drained by 2060 if current use and recent climate conditions prevail until then. Once depleted, the aquifer could take between 500 and 1,300 years to completely refill, given current rainfall patterns. But the researchers say that if reducing water use becomes an immediate priority, it could still be possible to use the aquifer's resources and increase net agricultural production through the year 2110.
Sandy Shrtfall
The Sunshine State's 633 miles of tourist-attracting beaches are beginning to suffer from a shortage of sand unlike anything ever seen before. For decades, constant erosion by tides, hurricanes and other forces has been replaced with offshore sand sucked up from the nearby ocean floor. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warns that even that source is running out in some spots. Miami-Dade County will use up its offshore resources by next Feburary. And since the "Sun and Fun Capital of the World's beaches are key to its tourist-driven economy, officials are considering trucking in sand from mines in central Flordia. Neighboring Broward County is considering the use of crushed glass as a source of fake sand. But some worry it won't have the same sparkle or allure as the fine silica created by Mother Nature. Other states have used recycled glass, but mainly to cover small areas like sand traps on golf courses.
Howling Respect
Wolves howl because they care about pack mates who are away, Austrian scientists have discovered. When individual captive wolves were removed from their pack for long daily walks, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna found that those left behind would individually call out more when they had a stronger relationship with the missing pack mate. This was especially true if the absent wolf had a higher social ranking. The howling rate was found to be directly related to how much "quality time" the howler and the missing wolf had spent together. Since the amount of howling was found to not be related to the level of the stress hormone cortisol, researchers concluded that the vocalizations are used to "maintain contact and perhaps to aid in reuniting with allies."
Tropical cyclones
Tropical Storm Fernand triggered landslides and flooding in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz that killed at least 13 people.
* Southern Baja California received heavy rain and strong winds from tropical storms Ivo and Juliette, which passed only a few days apart.
* Tropical Storm Kong-Rey drenched already-soaked parts of Taiwan and southern Japan.
Earthquakes
The English seaside city of Blackpool was jolted by a rare quake, centered just offshore beneath the Irish Sea. The 3.3 magnitude tremor was felt as far away as Dublin and northern Wales.
* Earth movements were also felt in northeastern New York, northern Nevada, northern India and along China's Sichuan-Yunnan border.
Atacama Flurry
An area known as one of the driest places on Earth received a rare snowfall and flood-producing rains, which were reportedly the heaviest in three decades. Some parts of Chile's Atacama Desert have never recorded any rainfall, while the region's average annual precipitation is only about 0.6 inches. The desert is parched because nearly all the moisture blowing in from the Pacific is blocked by the Andes mountain range to the west. The cold waters of the Humboldt Current offshore also produce a generally arid zone. But a bitterly cold Antarctic blast that chilled much of southern South America during late August also brought in enough moisture from the south to trigger the snow and brief downpours in the Atacama.
Roach Escape
At least 1.5 million cockroaches escaped a breeding facility in eastern China's Jiangsu province, infesting nearby farmland and homes. The province's board of health investigators are at a loss on how to rid the region of the pests. Wang Pengsheng began raising the insects so their extracts could be sold as a traditional Chinese medicine treatment for cancer and inflammation, and to allegedly improve immunity. He had been raising the roaches on a diet of fruits and biscuits when something destroyed the plastic greenhouses he was using for the enterprise. The Nanjing-based Modern Express reports that the escaped hexapods would damage their crops and bring diseases. Local authorities were working to calm those fears.
A vast Midwest groundwater reserve that lies beneath eight U.S. states is being drained so rapidly for agriculture and other activities that it could be mostly used up within 50 years, researchers warn. A team from Kansas State University found that a portion of the High Plains Aquifer, called the Ogallala Aquifer, will be nearly 70 percent drained by 2060 if current use and recent climate conditions prevail until then. Once depleted, the aquifer could take between 500 and 1,300 years to completely refill, given current rainfall patterns. But the researchers say that if reducing water use becomes an immediate priority, it could still be possible to use the aquifer's resources and increase net agricultural production through the year 2110.
Sandy Shrtfall
The Sunshine State's 633 miles of tourist-attracting beaches are beginning to suffer from a shortage of sand unlike anything ever seen before. For decades, constant erosion by tides, hurricanes and other forces has been replaced with offshore sand sucked up from the nearby ocean floor. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warns that even that source is running out in some spots. Miami-Dade County will use up its offshore resources by next Feburary. And since the "Sun and Fun Capital of the World's beaches are key to its tourist-driven economy, officials are considering trucking in sand from mines in central Flordia. Neighboring Broward County is considering the use of crushed glass as a source of fake sand. But some worry it won't have the same sparkle or allure as the fine silica created by Mother Nature. Other states have used recycled glass, but mainly to cover small areas like sand traps on golf courses.
Howling Respect
Wolves howl because they care about pack mates who are away, Austrian scientists have discovered. When individual captive wolves were removed from their pack for long daily walks, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna found that those left behind would individually call out more when they had a stronger relationship with the missing pack mate. This was especially true if the absent wolf had a higher social ranking. The howling rate was found to be directly related to how much "quality time" the howler and the missing wolf had spent together. Since the amount of howling was found to not be related to the level of the stress hormone cortisol, researchers concluded that the vocalizations are used to "maintain contact and perhaps to aid in reuniting with allies."
Tropical cyclones
Tropical Storm Fernand triggered landslides and flooding in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz that killed at least 13 people.
* Southern Baja California received heavy rain and strong winds from tropical storms Ivo and Juliette, which passed only a few days apart.
* Tropical Storm Kong-Rey drenched already-soaked parts of Taiwan and southern Japan.
Earthquakes
The English seaside city of Blackpool was jolted by a rare quake, centered just offshore beneath the Irish Sea. The 3.3 magnitude tremor was felt as far away as Dublin and northern Wales.
* Earth movements were also felt in northeastern New York, northern Nevada, northern India and along China's Sichuan-Yunnan border.
Atacama Flurry
An area known as one of the driest places on Earth received a rare snowfall and flood-producing rains, which were reportedly the heaviest in three decades. Some parts of Chile's Atacama Desert have never recorded any rainfall, while the region's average annual precipitation is only about 0.6 inches. The desert is parched because nearly all the moisture blowing in from the Pacific is blocked by the Andes mountain range to the west. The cold waters of the Humboldt Current offshore also produce a generally arid zone. But a bitterly cold Antarctic blast that chilled much of southern South America during late August also brought in enough moisture from the south to trigger the snow and brief downpours in the Atacama.
Roach Escape
At least 1.5 million cockroaches escaped a breeding facility in eastern China's Jiangsu province, infesting nearby farmland and homes. The province's board of health investigators are at a loss on how to rid the region of the pests. Wang Pengsheng began raising the insects so their extracts could be sold as a traditional Chinese medicine treatment for cancer and inflammation, and to allegedly improve immunity. He had been raising the roaches on a diet of fruits and biscuits when something destroyed the plastic greenhouses he was using for the enterprise. The Nanjing-based Modern Express reports that the escaped hexapods would damage their crops and bring diseases. Local authorities were working to calm those fears.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (August 23, 2013)
Nuclear Warning
The crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant has deepened during August. Fresh toxic leaks from the meltdowns prompted the country's nuclear agency to warn that a worst-case scenario is approaching. "This is what we have been fearing," warned agency chairman Shunichi Tanaka. Japan now rates the disaster's current status at level 3, or "serious incident," on an international scale for radiological releases. The leaking contamination had previously been rated at level 1 on a scale of seven. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was once assigned the highest rating of 7 after it was hit by explosions and meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. In July, the Japanese government warned that the plant was leaking around 80,000 gallonsof contaminated ground water every day into the Pacific. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., now says an additional 80,000 gallons of contaminated water have spewed from a metal holding tank. Hundreds of other tanks are also at risk. A scheme is being drawn up to create a large underground wall of frozen earth around the plant to seal off the groundwater leaks.
Japanese Eruption
A powerful blast from southern Japan's Mount Sakurajima volcano sent a massive plume of ash blowing over the city of Kagoshima, where residents used masks, raincoats and umbrellas to shield themselves from the falling debris. The Aug. 18 eruption sent ash soaring 3 miles into the atmosphere above southern Kyushu Island, making it the highest plume ever recorded from the volcano. Sakurajima has erupted every few hours or days since 1955 and shows no signs of calming down.
Bat-MERS Connection
Scientists in Saudi Arabia say they have found the emerging MERS virus in an insect-eating bat, very near to where the first known human case of the deadly respiratory disease was reported. While the same corona-virus, or one very similar, was recently found in Arabian Peninsula camels, researchers say the strain found in the bat is identical to what has infected at least 96 humans, of which 46 have died. All cases to date have originated from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Bats are carriers of several viruses that can infect humans, including rabies and SARS. But since people in the Middle East have little contact with bats, and the virus isn't passed easily among humans, scientists believe there is another link in the infection chain between bats and humans. "Is it food? Is it another animal reservoir? That's something to be determined," said lead researcher Ziad Memish, who is also the Saudi deputy minister of health.
Meteoric Dust Belt
The meteor explosion that caused extensive damage around the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Feb. 15 also sent a massive plume of airborne debris into Earth's stratosphere. The bus-sized meteor detonated about 15 miles above the surface, sending out a burst of energy 30 times greater than that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.Satellite observations revealed that hundreds of tons of dust remained in the upper atmosphere for a full two months following the explosion. It took only four days for the dust to blow all the way around the world and again pass over Chelyabinsk. The latest climate models accurately predicted the path and density of the dust belt, which raced around the globe at about 190 mph.
Earthquakes
Homes around New Zealand's capital of Wellington and the nearby Mariborough region were damaged by a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck less than a month after a comparable quake also roughed up the area.
* Several houses collapsed when a 6.2 magnitude temblor struck near the Mexican resort of Acapulco.
* Earth movements were also felt in northern Italy, the southern Philippines and western Washington state.
Tropical Cyclones
Northern Taiwan and China's Fujian province were struck by Category 1 Typhoon Trami. Downpours from the storm caused local flooding on Taiwan, and winds were clocked at just over 100 mph where it made landfall on the Fujian coast.
* Tropical Storm Pewa briefly reached hurricane force over a remote stretch of the central Pacific, between Johnston Atoll and Wake Island.
Aquatic Apes
The scientific belief that apes shun water and stay on dry land has been shattered by a video that shows two of the primates enjoying swimming and diving. Researchers from South Africa's Wits University and the University of Bern found that while most mammals use the so-called dog paddle to maneuver in water, the apes learned how to swim by using a breaststroke technique. Writing in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Renato Bender and Nicole Bender say that primates ancient adaption to forest life may have caused the difference in swimming style.
The crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant has deepened during August. Fresh toxic leaks from the meltdowns prompted the country's nuclear agency to warn that a worst-case scenario is approaching. "This is what we have been fearing," warned agency chairman Shunichi Tanaka. Japan now rates the disaster's current status at level 3, or "serious incident," on an international scale for radiological releases. The leaking contamination had previously been rated at level 1 on a scale of seven. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was once assigned the highest rating of 7 after it was hit by explosions and meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. In July, the Japanese government warned that the plant was leaking around 80,000 gallonsof contaminated ground water every day into the Pacific. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., now says an additional 80,000 gallons of contaminated water have spewed from a metal holding tank. Hundreds of other tanks are also at risk. A scheme is being drawn up to create a large underground wall of frozen earth around the plant to seal off the groundwater leaks.
Japanese Eruption
A powerful blast from southern Japan's Mount Sakurajima volcano sent a massive plume of ash blowing over the city of Kagoshima, where residents used masks, raincoats and umbrellas to shield themselves from the falling debris. The Aug. 18 eruption sent ash soaring 3 miles into the atmosphere above southern Kyushu Island, making it the highest plume ever recorded from the volcano. Sakurajima has erupted every few hours or days since 1955 and shows no signs of calming down.
Bat-MERS Connection
Scientists in Saudi Arabia say they have found the emerging MERS virus in an insect-eating bat, very near to where the first known human case of the deadly respiratory disease was reported. While the same corona-virus, or one very similar, was recently found in Arabian Peninsula camels, researchers say the strain found in the bat is identical to what has infected at least 96 humans, of which 46 have died. All cases to date have originated from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Bats are carriers of several viruses that can infect humans, including rabies and SARS. But since people in the Middle East have little contact with bats, and the virus isn't passed easily among humans, scientists believe there is another link in the infection chain between bats and humans. "Is it food? Is it another animal reservoir? That's something to be determined," said lead researcher Ziad Memish, who is also the Saudi deputy minister of health.
Meteoric Dust Belt
The meteor explosion that caused extensive damage around the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Feb. 15 also sent a massive plume of airborne debris into Earth's stratosphere. The bus-sized meteor detonated about 15 miles above the surface, sending out a burst of energy 30 times greater than that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.Satellite observations revealed that hundreds of tons of dust remained in the upper atmosphere for a full two months following the explosion. It took only four days for the dust to blow all the way around the world and again pass over Chelyabinsk. The latest climate models accurately predicted the path and density of the dust belt, which raced around the globe at about 190 mph.
Earthquakes
Homes around New Zealand's capital of Wellington and the nearby Mariborough region were damaged by a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck less than a month after a comparable quake also roughed up the area.
* Several houses collapsed when a 6.2 magnitude temblor struck near the Mexican resort of Acapulco.
* Earth movements were also felt in northern Italy, the southern Philippines and western Washington state.
Tropical Cyclones
Northern Taiwan and China's Fujian province were struck by Category 1 Typhoon Trami. Downpours from the storm caused local flooding on Taiwan, and winds were clocked at just over 100 mph where it made landfall on the Fujian coast.
* Tropical Storm Pewa briefly reached hurricane force over a remote stretch of the central Pacific, between Johnston Atoll and Wake Island.
Aquatic Apes
The scientific belief that apes shun water and stay on dry land has been shattered by a video that shows two of the primates enjoying swimming and diving. Researchers from South Africa's Wits University and the University of Bern found that while most mammals use the so-called dog paddle to maneuver in water, the apes learned how to swim by using a breaststroke technique. Writing in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Renato Bender and Nicole Bender say that primates ancient adaption to forest life may have caused the difference in swimming style.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (August 16, 2013)
Camel Connection
Scientists believe they may have found an important clue into how the emerging MERS virus has come to infect nearly 100 people, mainly in the Middle East or among those who have traveled there. A new study into what "reservoir" may be fueling the outbreak found that antibodies for the coronavirus, or one very similar, are widespread among camels on the Arabian Peninsula. But the World Health Organization cautioned that many infected people caught it from other humans, while most of the other patients had not been around camels. The link between the virus and camels is of urgent concern because of the upcoming Haji, the annual Muslim pilgrimage that draws millions of the faithful to Mecca, where they must participate in the sacrifice of an animal. Camels are also important in the Middle East as a source of meat and milk. It was discovered soon after MERS emerged last year that it was related to a virus found in bats. Experts then theorized that since humans don't often come in contact with bats, the flying mammals were infecting other animals that later passed the virus on to people. The disease has killed many of those infected with symptoms that include fever, respiratory difficulties and kidney failure.
Volcano Deaths
A sudden burst of searing volcanic debris killed six people who were sleeping on a beach on the tiny Indonesian island home of Mount Rokatenda volcano. Many villagers on Palue had refused to leave because of the traditional belief that their presence was needed to keep lava from destroying their villages. Some of those in evacuations centers on nearby Flores Island were falling ill due to a rain of ash blowing over from the volcano.
Unprecedented Heat
Japan experienced its hotest temperature on record with a reading of 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit in Shimanto, a coastal city on the western island of Shikoku, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. That broke the previous record of 105.6 degrees set in August 2007. A week of sweltering conditions sent almost 10,000 people to hospitals by ambulance across Japan, suffering from heat-related problems. Officials said at least 19 people died of heatstroke. Air conditioning use strained the country's power grids since Japan shut down its nuclear reactors in the wake of the tsunami-related Fukushima nuclear diseaster two years ago.
* China has experienced its hottest summer since 1961. Extreme heat since July 1 has resulted in at least 40 deaths in the south of the country while more than 10 people have died from heatstroke in Shanghai.
Dolphin Deaths
The greatest mass die-off of dolphins along the eastern United States in 25 years has carcasses showing up on beaches from New York to Virginia at a rate that is seven times higher than usual. Government scientists have declared it an "unusual mortality event." More than 155 Atlantic bottlenose dolphin carcasses have been found since the deaths began in June. NOAA Fisheries scientist Maggie Mooney-Seus tells Earthweek that carcasses could begin washing up as far south as Flordia within the next few months as the marine mammals begin to migrate southward. Tissue samples from three of the dead dolphins found in New Jersey tested positive for morbillivirus. It's an infectious pathogen similar to sistemper, which attacks the central nervous systems of dogs.
Typhoon
The world's strongest tropical cyclone so far this year left at least seven people dead as it crossed much of the Philippine island of Luzon as a Category-4 storm. Typhoon Utor later struck China's Guangdong province with sustained winds of 90 mph.
Earthquakes
A sharp 5.7 magnitude temblor in southeastern Tibet's Qamdo prefecture wrecked houses and damaged roads near the epicenter.
* Earth movements were also felt in the Big Island of Hawaii, western Columbia, the English Channel region and across a wide area from Indonesia's Banda Sea to Darwin, Australia.
'Seasick' Crabs
A Norwegian fisherman, known in the country's Arctic outpost of Kjollefjord as "the crab king" is fighting back after the government banned him from displaying live snow crabs to tourists because officials say the practice can make the crustaceans "seasick". Kjell Sorbo was ordered to cease the practice because "it is not natural for a crab to be exposed to strong light, heat and noise outside of water," the country's food standards agency declared. "Crabs have feelings too, and like other animals they have the right to be treated properly," said agency spokesman Robin Martinsen. But Sorbo isn't buying the claim. "They have no proof of this. Those are just guesses," he told the broadcaster NRK. He and his supporters collected financing for scientific research to determine if the government's claims were founded, but the agency said it already had enough evidence.
Scientists believe they may have found an important clue into how the emerging MERS virus has come to infect nearly 100 people, mainly in the Middle East or among those who have traveled there. A new study into what "reservoir" may be fueling the outbreak found that antibodies for the coronavirus, or one very similar, are widespread among camels on the Arabian Peninsula. But the World Health Organization cautioned that many infected people caught it from other humans, while most of the other patients had not been around camels. The link between the virus and camels is of urgent concern because of the upcoming Haji, the annual Muslim pilgrimage that draws millions of the faithful to Mecca, where they must participate in the sacrifice of an animal. Camels are also important in the Middle East as a source of meat and milk. It was discovered soon after MERS emerged last year that it was related to a virus found in bats. Experts then theorized that since humans don't often come in contact with bats, the flying mammals were infecting other animals that later passed the virus on to people. The disease has killed many of those infected with symptoms that include fever, respiratory difficulties and kidney failure.
Volcano Deaths
A sudden burst of searing volcanic debris killed six people who were sleeping on a beach on the tiny Indonesian island home of Mount Rokatenda volcano. Many villagers on Palue had refused to leave because of the traditional belief that their presence was needed to keep lava from destroying their villages. Some of those in evacuations centers on nearby Flores Island were falling ill due to a rain of ash blowing over from the volcano.
Unprecedented Heat
Japan experienced its hotest temperature on record with a reading of 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit in Shimanto, a coastal city on the western island of Shikoku, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. That broke the previous record of 105.6 degrees set in August 2007. A week of sweltering conditions sent almost 10,000 people to hospitals by ambulance across Japan, suffering from heat-related problems. Officials said at least 19 people died of heatstroke. Air conditioning use strained the country's power grids since Japan shut down its nuclear reactors in the wake of the tsunami-related Fukushima nuclear diseaster two years ago.
* China has experienced its hottest summer since 1961. Extreme heat since July 1 has resulted in at least 40 deaths in the south of the country while more than 10 people have died from heatstroke in Shanghai.
Dolphin Deaths
The greatest mass die-off of dolphins along the eastern United States in 25 years has carcasses showing up on beaches from New York to Virginia at a rate that is seven times higher than usual. Government scientists have declared it an "unusual mortality event." More than 155 Atlantic bottlenose dolphin carcasses have been found since the deaths began in June. NOAA Fisheries scientist Maggie Mooney-Seus tells Earthweek that carcasses could begin washing up as far south as Flordia within the next few months as the marine mammals begin to migrate southward. Tissue samples from three of the dead dolphins found in New Jersey tested positive for morbillivirus. It's an infectious pathogen similar to sistemper, which attacks the central nervous systems of dogs.
Typhoon
The world's strongest tropical cyclone so far this year left at least seven people dead as it crossed much of the Philippine island of Luzon as a Category-4 storm. Typhoon Utor later struck China's Guangdong province with sustained winds of 90 mph.
Earthquakes
A sharp 5.7 magnitude temblor in southeastern Tibet's Qamdo prefecture wrecked houses and damaged roads near the epicenter.
* Earth movements were also felt in the Big Island of Hawaii, western Columbia, the English Channel region and across a wide area from Indonesia's Banda Sea to Darwin, Australia.
'Seasick' Crabs
A Norwegian fisherman, known in the country's Arctic outpost of Kjollefjord as "the crab king" is fighting back after the government banned him from displaying live snow crabs to tourists because officials say the practice can make the crustaceans "seasick". Kjell Sorbo was ordered to cease the practice because "it is not natural for a crab to be exposed to strong light, heat and noise outside of water," the country's food standards agency declared. "Crabs have feelings too, and like other animals they have the right to be treated properly," said agency spokesman Robin Martinsen. But Sorbo isn't buying the claim. "They have no proof of this. Those are just guesses," he told the broadcaster NRK. He and his supporters collected financing for scientific research to determine if the government's claims were founded, but the agency said it already had enough evidence.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (August 9, 2013)
Solar Flip
The sun's magnetic field is expected to "flip" within a few months, part of an 11-year cycle of activity that could affect Earth's climate, electronics and power grids. Such a flip occurs every 11 years in conjunction with what's known as the "solar maximum," or period of greatest solar activity. A reorganization of the sun's magnetic dynamo is responsible for the flip, and the process doesn't always happen in a tidy fashion. "Right now, there's an imbalance between the north and the south poles," NASA space scientist Jonathan Cirtain said last year. "The north is already in transition, well ahead of the south pole,and we don't understand why." Stanford University solar physicist Phil Scherrer says that when the flip occurs, the sun's polar magnetic fields "weaken, go to zero and then emerge again with the opposite polarity."
Ocean's Response
An international team of researchers has found that marine life is adapting to a warming climate far more quickly than land-based life. Their three-year study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, reveals that marine species are moving away from the tropics at an average of 45 miles per decade, compared to only 4 miles per decade for those on land. The ocen life is mainly shifting toward the poles in search of cooler waters as the world's oceans have absorbed about 80 percent of the heat added to the global climate in recent decades. The study used an average of about 40 years of observations from earlier research. It found that phytoplankton, at the base of the ocean's food chain, are now blooming an average of six days earlier in the season. Baby fish appear to be hatching about 11 days earlier as well.
Climate Clashes
Hot-headed passions are likely to create more human conflict in the decades ahead as the world's climate warms, according to a new study by economists at the University of Calfornia, Berkeley. By looking at the historicl impact of sudden surges in temperature or changes in rainfall, they found that warming and extremes in rainfall, from both drought and downpours, seem to be linked to spikes in violence. This was found to be true for conflicts between groups more than for acts of violence between individuals. The researchers crunched the numbers of 60 studies from disciplines like archaeology, criminology, economics and psychology, for periods from 10,000 B.C. to the present, in coming to their conclusion. Critics of the study say it looked at the consequences of relatively brief shifts in climate rather than what might be experienced in the sustained warming expected in the coming decades.
Kamchatka Eruption
Russia's restive Shiveluch volcano exploded with a blast of ash that soared three miles above the Kamchatka Peninsula RIA Novosti reports the 10,771-foot mountain has seen an increase in activity since May 2009, periodically spewing ash into the sky. Although the latest eruption posed no immediate threats to nearby settlements, the clouds of volcanic ash could cause problems for trans-Pacific air traffic, officials told the news agency.
Tropical Storms
Northern Vietnam and China's Hainan Island were drenched by Tropical Storm Mangkhut.
* Hurricane Henriette reached Category-3 force as it moved westward across the Pacific.
Earthquakes
A 5.8 magnitude quake jolted the same region of northeastern Japan devastated by the March 2011 great earthquake and tsunami.
* Earth movements were also felt in northern India, southern Greece, far southwestern England, Trinidad, southern Mexico and Canada's Pacific coast.
Enduring Memories
Dolphins may be better at remembering long-lost friends than humans, based on a new study that found the marine mammals can identify former companions more than 20 years after they last swam together. Researchers from the University of Chicago discovered the ability after playing back the vocalizations of 42 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that had been kept in captivity over decades, with their associations carefully documented. Individual dolphins demonstrated profound reactions when exposed to recordings of dolphins they had been with even decades earlier, compared to calls from those they had never met. Such a study would have been impossible in the wild, where the creatures "fissions-fusion" social system separates individuals only to sometimes bring them back together years later. Researcher Jason Bruck believes this is why the species evolved to be able to recognize long-lost friends as opposed to strangers. And they do it by the unique sounds each one develops. "Unlike humans, who are named by their parents, dolphins will actually name themselves," says Bruck. "Each one has their own individualized whistle shape that signifies who's who."
The sun's magnetic field is expected to "flip" within a few months, part of an 11-year cycle of activity that could affect Earth's climate, electronics and power grids. Such a flip occurs every 11 years in conjunction with what's known as the "solar maximum," or period of greatest solar activity. A reorganization of the sun's magnetic dynamo is responsible for the flip, and the process doesn't always happen in a tidy fashion. "Right now, there's an imbalance between the north and the south poles," NASA space scientist Jonathan Cirtain said last year. "The north is already in transition, well ahead of the south pole,and we don't understand why." Stanford University solar physicist Phil Scherrer says that when the flip occurs, the sun's polar magnetic fields "weaken, go to zero and then emerge again with the opposite polarity."
Ocean's Response
An international team of researchers has found that marine life is adapting to a warming climate far more quickly than land-based life. Their three-year study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, reveals that marine species are moving away from the tropics at an average of 45 miles per decade, compared to only 4 miles per decade for those on land. The ocen life is mainly shifting toward the poles in search of cooler waters as the world's oceans have absorbed about 80 percent of the heat added to the global climate in recent decades. The study used an average of about 40 years of observations from earlier research. It found that phytoplankton, at the base of the ocean's food chain, are now blooming an average of six days earlier in the season. Baby fish appear to be hatching about 11 days earlier as well.
Climate Clashes
Hot-headed passions are likely to create more human conflict in the decades ahead as the world's climate warms, according to a new study by economists at the University of Calfornia, Berkeley. By looking at the historicl impact of sudden surges in temperature or changes in rainfall, they found that warming and extremes in rainfall, from both drought and downpours, seem to be linked to spikes in violence. This was found to be true for conflicts between groups more than for acts of violence between individuals. The researchers crunched the numbers of 60 studies from disciplines like archaeology, criminology, economics and psychology, for periods from 10,000 B.C. to the present, in coming to their conclusion. Critics of the study say it looked at the consequences of relatively brief shifts in climate rather than what might be experienced in the sustained warming expected in the coming decades.
Kamchatka Eruption
Russia's restive Shiveluch volcano exploded with a blast of ash that soared three miles above the Kamchatka Peninsula RIA Novosti reports the 10,771-foot mountain has seen an increase in activity since May 2009, periodically spewing ash into the sky. Although the latest eruption posed no immediate threats to nearby settlements, the clouds of volcanic ash could cause problems for trans-Pacific air traffic, officials told the news agency.
Tropical Storms
Northern Vietnam and China's Hainan Island were drenched by Tropical Storm Mangkhut.
* Hurricane Henriette reached Category-3 force as it moved westward across the Pacific.
Earthquakes
A 5.8 magnitude quake jolted the same region of northeastern Japan devastated by the March 2011 great earthquake and tsunami.
* Earth movements were also felt in northern India, southern Greece, far southwestern England, Trinidad, southern Mexico and Canada's Pacific coast.
Enduring Memories
Dolphins may be better at remembering long-lost friends than humans, based on a new study that found the marine mammals can identify former companions more than 20 years after they last swam together. Researchers from the University of Chicago discovered the ability after playing back the vocalizations of 42 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that had been kept in captivity over decades, with their associations carefully documented. Individual dolphins demonstrated profound reactions when exposed to recordings of dolphins they had been with even decades earlier, compared to calls from those they had never met. Such a study would have been impossible in the wild, where the creatures "fissions-fusion" social system separates individuals only to sometimes bring them back together years later. Researcher Jason Bruck believes this is why the species evolved to be able to recognize long-lost friends as opposed to strangers. And they do it by the unique sounds each one develops. "Unlike humans, who are named by their parents, dolphins will actually name themselves," says Bruck. "Each one has their own individualized whistle shape that signifies who's who."
Friday, September 6, 2013
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (August 2, 2013)
The Speed of Death
Researchers have discovered a process in which death spreads throughout living creatures, including humans, and are working on ways to slow it down. The death wave, or death fluorescence, has been observed as a glowing blue color within worms, spreading predictably from cell to cell until the entire creature is dead. The source of the blue hue is a compound called anthranilic acid. "It's like a blue grim reaper, tracking death as it spreads throughout the organism until all life is extinguished," said study co-author David Gems, from University College London's Healthy Aging Institute. While the study focused on worms because they are the smallest and most simple forms of animals, the biological process of cellular death observed in them is believed to be similar to that in humans. Gems says the discovery could lead to new medications or techniques that could eventually slow the aging process and postpone death, as well as delay most age-related diseases.
Greenhouse Decay
Rising amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels are having a catastrophic, decaying effect on some marine life, according to new research. Scientists from Scotland's University of St. Andrews say the increased acidity in the oceans due to more CO2 in the air is causing something comparable to tooth decay for tiny organisms known as foraminifera, or forams. The drop in ocean ph is reducing the number and sizes of these shells, with many becoming deformed, making it far more difficult for the creatures to feed. And since they are at the base of the ocean food chain, scientists fear losses in the foram population could affect far larger marine life.
Microplastic Pollution
Scientists are skimming the waters of the North American Great Lakes this summer to see how pervasive a pollutant known as "microplastic" has become. The waterway's eco-systems have already suffered other manmade ravages, such as invasive mussels brought in by shipping, industrial can trigger blooms of toxic algae. Increasing amounts of tiny plastic particles have been found in the water and lakebeds that are, in part, what is left when plastic bottles and other items break down over time. But many of the particles are abrasive "microbeads" used in personal care products like body washes and toothpaste. Earlier studies indicated Lake Erie is the most affected, since it receives outflow from lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron to the north. But new research finds Lake Ontario is at least as contaminated.
Tropical Cyclones
Parts of Hawaii were soaked by the remnants of Tropical Storm Flossie, which weakened to a depression just before skirting the island chain.
* Hurricane Gil formed briefly over the eastern Pacific Ocean.
* China's island province of Hainan and northern Vietnam were drenched by Tropical Storm Jebi.
Earthquakes
Moderate aftershocks continued to rattle nerves around the New Zealand capital of Wellington more than a week after a 6.5 magnitude jolt damaged buildings in the city.
* Earth movements were also felt in eastern Afghanistan, northern Greece, the Hawaiian island of Oahu and northern Oklahoma.
Meltdown Legacy
The operators of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant concede that highly radioactive groundwater has leaked into the Pacific from beneath the oceanside facility, leading to fears of contamination of marine life. Toyko Electric Power Co. says it believes the groundwater is being fed by water in trenches around the reactors, which contain high levels of tritium, cesium, strontium and other unnamed substances. This is occuring more than two years after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami diseaster that led to the plant's reactor meltdown.
Finding Home
Homing pigeons appear to have a mental "map" that allows them to navigate through unfamiliar territory, according to a new study. Scientists have long believed that either such a mental map or an innate ability to reduce the difference between their current location and home gives them their extraordinary navigational skills. To find out which is true, University of Zurich doctoral student Nicole Blaser first trained pigeons by not feeding them at home. She then set up a remote feeding station where half the birds were allowed to eat all they wanted while the other half were kept hungry. Then, all the birds were taken to a third station, where obstacles kept the birds from having any visual clues on how to get home or to the feeding station. When released, the fed birds flew directly home while the hungry birds flew straight to the feeding station. Blaser concludes that this means the birds have a type of map in their heads and also have cognitive capabilities.
Researchers have discovered a process in which death spreads throughout living creatures, including humans, and are working on ways to slow it down. The death wave, or death fluorescence, has been observed as a glowing blue color within worms, spreading predictably from cell to cell until the entire creature is dead. The source of the blue hue is a compound called anthranilic acid. "It's like a blue grim reaper, tracking death as it spreads throughout the organism until all life is extinguished," said study co-author David Gems, from University College London's Healthy Aging Institute. While the study focused on worms because they are the smallest and most simple forms of animals, the biological process of cellular death observed in them is believed to be similar to that in humans. Gems says the discovery could lead to new medications or techniques that could eventually slow the aging process and postpone death, as well as delay most age-related diseases.
Greenhouse Decay
Rising amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels are having a catastrophic, decaying effect on some marine life, according to new research. Scientists from Scotland's University of St. Andrews say the increased acidity in the oceans due to more CO2 in the air is causing something comparable to tooth decay for tiny organisms known as foraminifera, or forams. The drop in ocean ph is reducing the number and sizes of these shells, with many becoming deformed, making it far more difficult for the creatures to feed. And since they are at the base of the ocean food chain, scientists fear losses in the foram population could affect far larger marine life.
Microplastic Pollution
Scientists are skimming the waters of the North American Great Lakes this summer to see how pervasive a pollutant known as "microplastic" has become. The waterway's eco-systems have already suffered other manmade ravages, such as invasive mussels brought in by shipping, industrial can trigger blooms of toxic algae. Increasing amounts of tiny plastic particles have been found in the water and lakebeds that are, in part, what is left when plastic bottles and other items break down over time. But many of the particles are abrasive "microbeads" used in personal care products like body washes and toothpaste. Earlier studies indicated Lake Erie is the most affected, since it receives outflow from lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron to the north. But new research finds Lake Ontario is at least as contaminated.
Tropical Cyclones
Parts of Hawaii were soaked by the remnants of Tropical Storm Flossie, which weakened to a depression just before skirting the island chain.
* Hurricane Gil formed briefly over the eastern Pacific Ocean.
* China's island province of Hainan and northern Vietnam were drenched by Tropical Storm Jebi.
Earthquakes
Moderate aftershocks continued to rattle nerves around the New Zealand capital of Wellington more than a week after a 6.5 magnitude jolt damaged buildings in the city.
* Earth movements were also felt in eastern Afghanistan, northern Greece, the Hawaiian island of Oahu and northern Oklahoma.
Meltdown Legacy
The operators of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant concede that highly radioactive groundwater has leaked into the Pacific from beneath the oceanside facility, leading to fears of contamination of marine life. Toyko Electric Power Co. says it believes the groundwater is being fed by water in trenches around the reactors, which contain high levels of tritium, cesium, strontium and other unnamed substances. This is occuring more than two years after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami diseaster that led to the plant's reactor meltdown.
Finding Home
Homing pigeons appear to have a mental "map" that allows them to navigate through unfamiliar territory, according to a new study. Scientists have long believed that either such a mental map or an innate ability to reduce the difference between their current location and home gives them their extraordinary navigational skills. To find out which is true, University of Zurich doctoral student Nicole Blaser first trained pigeons by not feeding them at home. She then set up a remote feeding station where half the birds were allowed to eat all they wanted while the other half were kept hungry. Then, all the birds were taken to a third station, where obstacles kept the birds from having any visual clues on how to get home or to the feeding station. When released, the fed birds flew directly home while the hungry birds flew straight to the feeding station. Blaser concludes that this means the birds have a type of map in their heads and also have cognitive capabilities.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (July 26, 2013)
New "Life" Form
French scientists say they have discovered two new viruses so different from anything ever before seen on Earth that they might as well have come from outer space. The new "Pandoravirus" species are so named because "opening" them has spawned so many questions about the nature of life. One was found in a freshwater pond near Melbourne, Australia, and the other off the coast of central Chile. They are larger than any other viruses ever discovered, and more than 90 percent of their genes are new to science. The largest is a full 1 micrometer long and can easily be seen through a standard lab microscope. "One of our jokes is that either they are from outer space or from a cellular ancestor that's now disappeared," said researcher Chantal Abergel from CNRS, the French national research agency. Viruses are technically not alive because they can't generate their own energy. It's thought that the Pandoraviruses were once live, self-supporting cells that downsized themselves to viruses by becoming parasites.
Greenhouse Greening
Increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels are causing deserts of the world to bloom with new green foliage, according to a new study. Randall Donohue, from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, used satellite observations from the past 30 years and found green foliage increased in arid regions during that period. Higher levels of CO2 help the leaves during photosynthesis, the process by which green plants convert sunlight into sugar. It can also help plants lose less water to the air during the process. The findings were published in the journal Geophyscial Research Letters.
War Not in Our Blood
It is not in human nature to make war, according to new research published in the journal Science. Some scholars say that humankind inherited the inclination to wage war from its closest relative the chimpanzee, which exhibits a kind of war between groups. But two researchers from Finland's Abo Akademi University say that's not the case and believe war developed with the rise of modern civilization, which caused conflicts over resources such as agriculture and livestock. There is very little archeological evidence of war in our precivilized past. So the researchers looked at modern-day hunter-gatherer people without the kind of property or social class divisions that emerged with the rise of civilization. "When we looked at all the violent events, about 55 percent involved one person killing another. That's not war," said Fry. "When we looked at group conflicts, the typical pattern was feuds between families and revenge killings, which is not war either." Only a very small number of more organized killings comparable to war were found, and almost all of them were in one of the 21 groups studied.
Earthquakes
A violent temblor in China's western Gansu province killed nearly 100 people and left more than 1,000 others severly injured. The 5.9 magnitude quake caused about 1,200 buildings to collapse with tens of thousands of others becoming badly damaged.
* Central New Zealand's strongest quake since 1942 burst water mains, smashed windows and downed power lines around the capital city of Wellington.
* A moderate earth movement was felt in eastern Afghanistan and adjacent areas of Pakistan.
Java Eruption
Indonesian officials urged residents around Java's Mount Merapi to remain calm after the volcano belched steam and debris with a huge explosion. But hundreds fled their villages along the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano out of fears of an even more violent event. Geologists said the blast was not an eruption, but due to rainwater building up pressure when it came in contact with ground made hot by subterranean lava.
Tropical Cyclone
The fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed off the coast of Africa on July 24. Tropical Storm Dorian was predicted to remain well below hurricane force as it moved toward the Windward Islands.
* Tropical Storm Flossie formed in the eastern Pacific well off Mexico.
Bird Paralysis
Ravens and crows in eastern British Columbia are being afflicted by a paralysis that has left at least dozens dead. Wildlife rehabilitation expert Leona Gren said the first reports of the mysterious avian ailment emerged in the Peace Region during late May. "They are all feathered out. There's no wing damage and they seem quite bright, and if you feed them by hand, they will eat," Green told the Vancouver Sun. "But their legs are completely paralyzed and their claws are clubbed with no feeling from their spines to their legs." She added that without the use of their legs, they can't launch themselves into flight. It's feared the birds are suffering from the effects of West Nile virus, to which they are especially susceptible.
French scientists say they have discovered two new viruses so different from anything ever before seen on Earth that they might as well have come from outer space. The new "Pandoravirus" species are so named because "opening" them has spawned so many questions about the nature of life. One was found in a freshwater pond near Melbourne, Australia, and the other off the coast of central Chile. They are larger than any other viruses ever discovered, and more than 90 percent of their genes are new to science. The largest is a full 1 micrometer long and can easily be seen through a standard lab microscope. "One of our jokes is that either they are from outer space or from a cellular ancestor that's now disappeared," said researcher Chantal Abergel from CNRS, the French national research agency. Viruses are technically not alive because they can't generate their own energy. It's thought that the Pandoraviruses were once live, self-supporting cells that downsized themselves to viruses by becoming parasites.
Greenhouse Greening
Increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels are causing deserts of the world to bloom with new green foliage, according to a new study. Randall Donohue, from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, used satellite observations from the past 30 years and found green foliage increased in arid regions during that period. Higher levels of CO2 help the leaves during photosynthesis, the process by which green plants convert sunlight into sugar. It can also help plants lose less water to the air during the process. The findings were published in the journal Geophyscial Research Letters.
War Not in Our Blood
It is not in human nature to make war, according to new research published in the journal Science. Some scholars say that humankind inherited the inclination to wage war from its closest relative the chimpanzee, which exhibits a kind of war between groups. But two researchers from Finland's Abo Akademi University say that's not the case and believe war developed with the rise of modern civilization, which caused conflicts over resources such as agriculture and livestock. There is very little archeological evidence of war in our precivilized past. So the researchers looked at modern-day hunter-gatherer people without the kind of property or social class divisions that emerged with the rise of civilization. "When we looked at all the violent events, about 55 percent involved one person killing another. That's not war," said Fry. "When we looked at group conflicts, the typical pattern was feuds between families and revenge killings, which is not war either." Only a very small number of more organized killings comparable to war were found, and almost all of them were in one of the 21 groups studied.
Earthquakes
A violent temblor in China's western Gansu province killed nearly 100 people and left more than 1,000 others severly injured. The 5.9 magnitude quake caused about 1,200 buildings to collapse with tens of thousands of others becoming badly damaged.
* Central New Zealand's strongest quake since 1942 burst water mains, smashed windows and downed power lines around the capital city of Wellington.
* A moderate earth movement was felt in eastern Afghanistan and adjacent areas of Pakistan.
Java Eruption
Indonesian officials urged residents around Java's Mount Merapi to remain calm after the volcano belched steam and debris with a huge explosion. But hundreds fled their villages along the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano out of fears of an even more violent event. Geologists said the blast was not an eruption, but due to rainwater building up pressure when it came in contact with ground made hot by subterranean lava.
Tropical Cyclone
The fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed off the coast of Africa on July 24. Tropical Storm Dorian was predicted to remain well below hurricane force as it moved toward the Windward Islands.
* Tropical Storm Flossie formed in the eastern Pacific well off Mexico.
Bird Paralysis
Ravens and crows in eastern British Columbia are being afflicted by a paralysis that has left at least dozens dead. Wildlife rehabilitation expert Leona Gren said the first reports of the mysterious avian ailment emerged in the Peace Region during late May. "They are all feathered out. There's no wing damage and they seem quite bright, and if you feed them by hand, they will eat," Green told the Vancouver Sun. "But their legs are completely paralyzed and their claws are clubbed with no feeling from their spines to their legs." She added that without the use of their legs, they can't launch themselves into flight. It's feared the birds are suffering from the effects of West Nile virus, to which they are especially susceptible.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Area 51 exists, but Aliens ?
While a CIA history describes aviation activities, there are numerous redactions.
UFO buffs and believers in alien encounters are celebrating the CIA's clearest acknowledgment yet of the existence of Area 51, the top-secret Cold War test site that has been the subject of elaborate conspiracy theories for decades.
The recently declassified documents have set the tinfoil-hat crowd abuzz, though there's no mention in the papers of UFO crashes, black-eyed extraterrestrials or staged moon landings.
Audrey Hewins, an Oxford, Maine, woman who runs a support group for people like her who believe they have been contacted by extraterrestrials, said she suspects the CIA is moving closer to disclosing there are space aliens on Earth.
"I'm thinking that they're probably testing the waters now to see how mad people get about the big lie and cover-up," she said.
For a long time, U.S. government officials hesitated to acknowledge even the existence of Area 51.
The CIA history released Thursday not only refers to Area 51 by name and describes some of the aviation activities that took place there, but locates the Air Force base on a map, along the dry Groom Lake bed.
It also talks about some cool planes, though none of them are saucer-shaped.
George Washington University's National Security Archive used a public records request to obtain the CIA history of one of Area 51's most secret Cold War projects, the U-2 spy plane program.
National Security Archive senior fellow Jeffrey Richelson first reviewed the history in 2002, but all mentions of the country's most mysterious military base had been redacted. So he requested the history again in 2005, hoping for more information. Sure enough, he received a version a few weeks ago with the mentions of Area 51 restored.
The report is unlikely to stop the conspiracy theorists. The 407-page document still contains many redactions, and who's to say those missing sections don't involve little green men?
It's not the first time the government has acknowledged the existence of the supersecret, 8,000-square-mile installation. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush referred to the "location near Groom Lake" in insisting on continued secrecy, and other government referendces date to the 1960s.
But Richelson, as well as those who are convinced "the truth is out there," are taking the document as a sign of loosening secrecy about the government's activities in the Nevada desert.
UFO buffs and believers in alien encounters are celebrating the CIA's clearest acknowledgment yet of the existence of Area 51, the top-secret Cold War test site that has been the subject of elaborate conspiracy theories for decades.
The recently declassified documents have set the tinfoil-hat crowd abuzz, though there's no mention in the papers of UFO crashes, black-eyed extraterrestrials or staged moon landings.
Audrey Hewins, an Oxford, Maine, woman who runs a support group for people like her who believe they have been contacted by extraterrestrials, said she suspects the CIA is moving closer to disclosing there are space aliens on Earth.
"I'm thinking that they're probably testing the waters now to see how mad people get about the big lie and cover-up," she said.
For a long time, U.S. government officials hesitated to acknowledge even the existence of Area 51.
The CIA history released Thursday not only refers to Area 51 by name and describes some of the aviation activities that took place there, but locates the Air Force base on a map, along the dry Groom Lake bed.
It also talks about some cool planes, though none of them are saucer-shaped.
George Washington University's National Security Archive used a public records request to obtain the CIA history of one of Area 51's most secret Cold War projects, the U-2 spy plane program.
National Security Archive senior fellow Jeffrey Richelson first reviewed the history in 2002, but all mentions of the country's most mysterious military base had been redacted. So he requested the history again in 2005, hoping for more information. Sure enough, he received a version a few weeks ago with the mentions of Area 51 restored.
The report is unlikely to stop the conspiracy theorists. The 407-page document still contains many redactions, and who's to say those missing sections don't involve little green men?
It's not the first time the government has acknowledged the existence of the supersecret, 8,000-square-mile installation. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush referred to the "location near Groom Lake" in insisting on continued secrecy, and other government referendces date to the 1960s.
But Richelson, as well as those who are convinced "the truth is out there," are taking the document as a sign of loosening secrecy about the government's activities in the Nevada desert.
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is?
1. What 2012 comedy, narrated by Patrick Stewart, concerns John Bennett and his lifelong companion, a talking bear?
2. In radio parlance, what word meaning "I understand" is often paired with wilco, meaning "I will comply"?
3. What Old Testament heroine's courage is celebrated by the Jewish holiday of Purim?
4. In which U.S. state would you find Dollywood?
5. With an average surface temperature of 863 F, what planet is the hottest in the solar system?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Ted
2. Roger
3. Esther
4. Tennessee
5. Venus
Bonus : All are famous people named Williams
Can you figure out what it is?
1. What 2012 comedy, narrated by Patrick Stewart, concerns John Bennett and his lifelong companion, a talking bear?
2. In radio parlance, what word meaning "I understand" is often paired with wilco, meaning "I will comply"?
3. What Old Testament heroine's courage is celebrated by the Jewish holiday of Purim?
4. In which U.S. state would you find Dollywood?
5. With an average surface temperature of 863 F, what planet is the hottest in the solar system?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Ted
2. Roger
3. Esther
4. Tennessee
5. Venus
Bonus : All are famous people named Williams
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. What former presidential candidate was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936?
2. What Oregon novelist was inspired by his job working in a veteran's hospital to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
3. What sportcaster and former Raiders coach has sold 85 million copies of his NFL video game?
4. What TV band, despite not really existing, topped the pop charts in 1970 with "I Think I Love You"?
5. What former Montgomery, Ala., seamstress became the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda when she died, in 2005?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. John McCain
2. Ken Kesey
3. John Madden
4. The Partridge Family
5. Rosa Parks
Bonus : All are famous Bus Riders
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. What former presidential candidate was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936?
2. What Oregon novelist was inspired by his job working in a veteran's hospital to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
3. What sportcaster and former Raiders coach has sold 85 million copies of his NFL video game?
4. What TV band, despite not really existing, topped the pop charts in 1970 with "I Think I Love You"?
5. What former Montgomery, Ala., seamstress became the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda when she died, in 2005?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. John McCain
2. Ken Kesey
3. John Madden
4. The Partridge Family
5. Rosa Parks
Bonus : All are famous Bus Riders
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Alan Wilson Watts, British-born philosopher and author (1915-1973)
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."
Still on the Books
In Hollywood, Calif., it is illegal to drive more than 2,000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.
Hawk-eyed Vision
A hawk's eyesight is eight times sharper than a human's.
State Stats
A person can stand anywhere in Michigan and be within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.
Before Fame
Geena Davis was once a window mannequin for Ann Taylor.
Table Tidbits
The graham cracker was named after a Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham, who invented it in 1829 as part of a regimen to suppress unhealthy carnal urges.
by Alan Wilson Watts, British-born philosopher and author (1915-1973)
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."
Still on the Books
In Hollywood, Calif., it is illegal to drive more than 2,000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.
Hawk-eyed Vision
A hawk's eyesight is eight times sharper than a human's.
State Stats
A person can stand anywhere in Michigan and be within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.
Before Fame
Geena Davis was once a window mannequin for Ann Taylor.
Table Tidbits
The graham cracker was named after a Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham, who invented it in 1829 as part of a regimen to suppress unhealthy carnal urges.
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Roman proverb
"It is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand days as a lamb."
Still on the Books
In Blue Hill, Neb., no female wearing "a hat that would scare a timid person" can be seen eating onions win public.
Before Fame
Multi-platinum recording artist Gwen Stefani once mopped floors at Dairy Queen.
Lore Has It
In England, according to superstition, if you drop an umbrella on the floor, someone will be murdered in that house.
Famous Firsts
In 1873, billiards became the first game to hold an official world championship.
State Stats
Alma, Ark., claims to be the spinach capital of the world.
by Roman proverb
"It is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand days as a lamb."
Still on the Books
In Blue Hill, Neb., no female wearing "a hat that would scare a timid person" can be seen eating onions win public.
Before Fame
Multi-platinum recording artist Gwen Stefani once mopped floors at Dairy Queen.
Lore Has It
In England, according to superstition, if you drop an umbrella on the floor, someone will be murdered in that house.
Famous Firsts
In 1873, billiards became the first game to hold an official world championship.
State Stats
Alma, Ark., claims to be the spinach capital of the world.
Auto repair shop is top spot for smartphone theft
If you own a smartphone and spend time at your mechanic's shop, eat a lot of pizza or go to church, you're more likely to lose your smartphone.
That's what Lookout Security Inc. says, according to the San Francisco-based company's website.
Lookout also says 1 billion phones are shipped annually to new owners.
And nearby Philadelphia is the number-one city in America where smartphones are left behind or are stolen, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
And you can be at higher risk if you're moving into college or if you use mass transit, like SEPTA, said AAA spokesman Jenny M. Robinson.
Phone theft is epidemic.
Almost one in three robberies nationwide involves a mobile phone and the Federal Communications Commission is coordinating the formation of a national database system to track stolen cellphones, Robinson adds.
And the top 10 places to lose your phone in Philadelphia in descending order are:
That's what Lookout Security Inc. says, according to the San Francisco-based company's website.
Lookout also says 1 billion phones are shipped annually to new owners.
And nearby Philadelphia is the number-one city in America where smartphones are left behind or are stolen, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
And you can be at higher risk if you're moving into college or if you use mass transit, like SEPTA, said AAA spokesman Jenny M. Robinson.
Phone theft is epidemic.
Almost one in three robberies nationwide involves a mobile phone and the Federal Communications Commission is coordinating the formation of a national database system to track stolen cellphones, Robinson adds.
And the top 10 places to lose your phone in Philadelphia in descending order are:
- auto repair shop
- pizza place
- church
- apartment building
- office
- restaurant
- drugstore
- supermarket
- salon or barber shop
- doctor's office
If You Think, You Can.
If you think You're beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost for sure you won't.
If you think you're losing, you've lost.
For out in the world we find --------
Success begins with a person's will,
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise.
You have to stay with it,
In order to win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the one with the better plan,
For more often than not, you will win,
If only you think you can.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost for sure you won't.
If you think you're losing, you've lost.
For out in the world we find --------
Success begins with a person's will,
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise.
You have to stay with it,
In order to win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the one with the better plan,
For more often than not, you will win,
If only you think you can.
F. Y. I.
State Stats
Annapolis, Md., was known as the Athens of America during the 17th century and once served as the capital of the United States.
Say What?
by Steven Seagal, action film star
"People all over the world recognize me as a spiritual leader."
Role Refusal
Michelle Pfeiffer was directorJonathan Demme's first choice to play Clarice Starling in "Silence of the Lambs," a role that went to Jodie Foster after she turned it down.
Still on the Books
In Oklahoma, dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.
Big Appetite
The average orca, weighing about 9 tons, may eat 500 pounds of food a day.
In Other Worlds
Belgium has a museum devoted to strawberries.
Annapolis, Md., was known as the Athens of America during the 17th century and once served as the capital of the United States.
Say What?
by Steven Seagal, action film star
"People all over the world recognize me as a spiritual leader."
Role Refusal
Michelle Pfeiffer was directorJonathan Demme's first choice to play Clarice Starling in "Silence of the Lambs," a role that went to Jodie Foster after she turned it down.
Still on the Books
In Oklahoma, dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.
Big Appetite
The average orca, weighing about 9 tons, may eat 500 pounds of food a day.
In Other Worlds
Belgium has a museum devoted to strawberries.
Have a Chuckle
Courtesy of Cozy Morley
Here are a few jokes told repeatedly over the years and culled from various sources by Stu Bykofsky :
"You see this banjo? My sainted mother got me this. I was a kid and we walked by a pawn shop window. I looked at the banjo. She said, 'Son, do you want that?' ........ I said, 'Yes, mother, with all my heart,' ....... So she took a rock ...."
"In World War II, the Italian general sent his soldiers out for shells. They came back with ziti."
"The Irish, we are a great people. We invented the toilet seat. The Italians came along and put a hole in it four years later.
"I love the Polish people, my neighbors. My wife is Polish. In fact, there was this Polish counterfeiter. The feds admired him. They told him he did the best $2 bills they had ever seen. They asked how he did it. 'I just rubbed the 0s off the 20s.'"
A black guy hears a white guy use the term "colored" and he confronts him.
He says, "Get this straight right now ------ I'm a black man.
When I wake up in the morning I'm black!
When I go to the beach, I'm black!
When I'm sad, I'm black!
When I'm angry, I'm black!
When I die, I'm black!
I'm black!
Now look at you. When you get up, you're white.
You go to the beach, you're brown.
When you're sad, you're blue.
When you're angry, You're red.
When you die, you're gray.
Now who are you calling "colored"?
"In our parish, we read the bingo numbers in Latin so the Protestants can't win."
"At a funeral for an alocholic, they had him cremated, and he burned for nine months."
Here are a few jokes told repeatedly over the years and culled from various sources by Stu Bykofsky :
"You see this banjo? My sainted mother got me this. I was a kid and we walked by a pawn shop window. I looked at the banjo. She said, 'Son, do you want that?' ........ I said, 'Yes, mother, with all my heart,' ....... So she took a rock ...."
"In World War II, the Italian general sent his soldiers out for shells. They came back with ziti."
"The Irish, we are a great people. We invented the toilet seat. The Italians came along and put a hole in it four years later.
"I love the Polish people, my neighbors. My wife is Polish. In fact, there was this Polish counterfeiter. The feds admired him. They told him he did the best $2 bills they had ever seen. They asked how he did it. 'I just rubbed the 0s off the 20s.'"
A black guy hears a white guy use the term "colored" and he confronts him.
He says, "Get this straight right now ------ I'm a black man.
When I wake up in the morning I'm black!
When I go to the beach, I'm black!
When I'm sad, I'm black!
When I'm angry, I'm black!
When I die, I'm black!
I'm black!
Now look at you. When you get up, you're white.
You go to the beach, you're brown.
When you're sad, you're blue.
When you're angry, You're red.
When you die, you're gray.
Now who are you calling "colored"?
"In our parish, we read the bingo numbers in Latin so the Protestants can't win."
"At a funeral for an alocholic, they had him cremated, and he burned for nine months."
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