A disaster movie about something that could/will happen

 

I happened to accidentally catch the Norwegian disaster movie The Wave a couple of weeks ago. It's about a potential disaster so likely that all of the settings are real. The Norwegian village Geiranger sits at the end of a picturesque fjord (appropriately named the Geirangerfjord), and it looks like this:

That picturesque beauty is also the danger. The danger exists because those steep fjordwalls (I made that up) occasionally experience fjordslides (OK, that's enough), when part of the wall just lets loose and slides into the fjord, making a big fjordsplash. And that splash would travel straight down the narrow walls of the fjord into downvillage Geiranger. 

(Sorry, couldn't help myself, I had to write fjordsplash.)

A better name for fjordsplash is tsunami. And this danger is so real that Geiranger has sirens that are ready to go off in case a fjordslide is detected, to warn the residents to head to higher ground before the landslide-caused tsunami shows up. 

It can happen and does happen (the link goes to an article about the landslide in Taan Fjord in Alaska, which created a wave about 193 meters, about 600 feet, high). It's probably more likely than a massive lahar releasing from the summit of Mt. Rainier, and geologists know that has happened too. (And there are warning systems for communities that might be affected there, too.)

So, yeah, The Wave could happen.  Below is a still that shows the movie's depiction of it happening:

The lead actress was Ane Dahl Torp [IMDb link], shown below. By the way, she was also in a movie called The Quake, about an earthquake hitting Oslo, that doesn't seem nearly as plausible, and I think it's the same characters (her and her movie family), which is even less likely. I'm skipping that one.

Arrogant unfeeling b*stard

 

I am no fan of Mitch McConnell:  far, far from it. But he didn't deserve what the arrogant unfeeling b*stard who is daily reducing the standards we expected the President of the United States to possess said about him.

After McConnell opposes RFK Jr., Trump says he has ‘no idea’ if senator had polio

"Asked about McConnell’s bout with polio influencing his decision to vote no, Trump appeared to question his diagnosis.

“I have no idea if he had polio,” Trump said. “All I can tell you about him is that he shouldn’t have been leader.”

McConnell, who had polio as a child, was the only Republican to vote against Kennedy’s confirmation. The 82-year-old Kentucky senator has written about and publicly discussed the paralyzing disease, the effect on his life — including his childhood days confined to bed or undergoing a strict physical therapy regimen to rehabilitate his left leg — and his ardent support of lifesaving vaccines."

And I should point out, McConnell is fully to blame for Trump being President again. He could have led the Senate to impeach him, but said that the courts could deal with him. Clearly that didn't work out. So yes, no fan of MM. But he doesn't deserve to have his childhood battle with polio questioned.

Nuclear refresh in Maryland

 

Good news for nuclear power in Maryland (close to home): Constellation is investing in maintenance and improvements to keep the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant generating for years to come. Good for Maryland, good for the environment. 

Constellation to upgrade Maryland nuclear power station

"The company is also investing USD68 million in 24 state-of-the-art electrical breakers to upgrade the plant's substation and to help enable future customer service on the grid. It said preliminary analysis indicates that further upgrades at Calvert Cliffs could increase electricity production by about 10%. "This would produce more carbon-free power than all the wind and utility-scale solar currently operating in Maryland," Constellation said.

"Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center is the largest source of clean, 24/7 power in Maryland and we are making substantial financial investments to keep it running reliably while generating economic development in Maryland," said Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez."

That's what we need more of.

Plus, we need more that look as good as this one:

Alysa Liu wins the Worlds

 

You can read a lot of articles about this, but after briefly retiring from the sport of figure skating, Alysa Liu came back to it better and just won the World Championships.  Video and article link below.

Alysa Liu Wins First Women’s World Championships Gold for Team USA Since 2006

"Dressed appropriately in gold, Liu connected on each of her jumping passes – landing seven triple jumps – secured Level 4s on each of her spins and step sequences, and earned positive grades of execution on every element en route the crown. Her free skate score of 148.39 was her best this season by 16.93 points. Her total competition score, 222.97 points, is not only an international personal best but also the second-highest ever by an American woman, making her the one to beat heading into Milano Cortina." 

(Milano Cortina (d'Ampezzo) is the site of the next Winter Olympics, even though it is all over northern Italy and the bobsled, luge, and skeleton might be at Lake Placid, NY.)

Video:

Lighthouse of the Week, March 23-29, 2025: Sanzhiika (Sanzhiiskyi), Ukraine

There's a little bit of a mystery here;  I'm not sure if my pictures are of the old lighthouse or the new lighthouse.  But they look similar.

This is the only the second lighthouse I've done in Ukraine; not for political or military reasons, but because I haven't looked there much. The first one was in Yalta. This one is located just south of Odessa, as you can see on the map here.

This is information from the Lighthouse Directory:

"2010 (station established 1921). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); two green flashes every 15 s. 28 m (92 ft) octagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern dome green. In 2010 this lighthouse was replaced by a new tower having the same appearance as the old one, but 9 m (30 ft) taller. ... Located above the beach about 16 km (10 mi) northeast of the mouth of the Dnister and about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Illichivsk."

That part about the tower being replaced by a new one makes me unsure if the pictures are of the old one or the new one.  It is also on a stamp.

The interview is longer than the race

 

The 100-yard butterfly final at the NCAA Division I women's swimming championships is worth another look.

I guess Gretchen Walsh is proving that 25-yard courses are somewhat outmoded for modern swimming. 

(Virginia won the meet, by the way. I dislike dynasties, but UVA is sure producing fast swimmers.) 

Cleverness at the viral level

 

Wondering why it's so easy to catch the flu (influenza)?  Well, this is one reason.

(By the way, yet another reason not to cut funding to NIH.)

Influenza A Viruses Strategically Change Shape To Infect Cells

The researchers found:
* Influenza A viruses rapidly adjust their shape when placed in conditions that reduce infection efficiency, such as the presence of antiviral antibodies or host incompatibility.
* A virus’ shape is dynamic and impacted by its environment, rather than being fixed by strain, as commonly believed.
* The study assessed 16 different virus-cell combinations that resulted in predictable shape trends.