This is a Scientific American video about why leftover pizza is healthier for humans than fresh, hot pizza. It also has a reference to go with it (which I'll provide), from the esteemed journal Foods.
I knew that Sarah Brightman had sung the "Nessun Dorma" aria from Puccini's Turandot, which is famously and usually reserved for male tenors; I recently discovered that the gorgeous and supremely talented Katherine Jenkins (also a decent dancer on Dancing with the Stars) had done a version too. This version doesn't have the same production extras that Sarah's version has.
Listen to it here:
OK, I've been there. I've been to the top of it. I've even been directly over it in an airplane (headed to Milwaukee, I think), and knew what it was.
I didn't know it was a lighthouse! But in fact, it is the tallest "aid to navigation" in the United States, probably (though I didn't check) one of the tallest in the world.
It's not primarily a lighthouse, it is, as the name indicates, a monument to a naval battle in the War of 1812, the Battle of Lake Erie. This was the battle won by Captain Oliver Hazard Perry, which after he won it he communicated "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Thus, on the island near where that battle was fought, there is the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. (And a bit ironic, as you'll see.)
To further help out, this is where that is.
And this is what the Lighthouse Directory says about it:
"1915. Active; focal plane 335 ft (102 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 352 ft (107 m) round granite tower topped by a bronze urn. Floodlit at night. ... This is the tallest aid to navigation in the U.S., 75% taller than Cape Hatteras Light. The tower commemorates the 1813 naval victory of a U.S. fleet led by Oliver [Hazard] Perry over a British fleet; it also recognizes the peace that has prevailed between the U.S. and Canada since 1815. An elevator carries visitors to an observation deck 317 ft (96.5 m) above the lake. A new visitor center opened in May 2002. The tower was closed for repairs and restoration during 2012. Located on the northeastern portion of South Bass Island, which is accessible by ferries from Catawba Island and Port Clinton."
(What I underlined is the ironic part, given the uneasiness between Canada and the U.S. due to the current Imbecile-in-Chief.)
So of course I will have pictures and a video.
New research indicates that wildfires release more air pollution, in the form of smoke and the accompanying toxic gases, than previously thought.
The updated estimate is an increase of 20% or so, and it is primarily in the form of un-estimated volatile organic compounds. But for a big wildfire, that can be a lot more smoke and associated stuff nobody wants to breathe.
Wildfires Could Emit More Air Pollution Than Previously Estimated
That's a direct quote. First question, what does "large number" mean? I have my suspicions, but I have to look in the actual article. So I did. And I think my suspicion was wrong. I thought the large number might be molecular weight, but I think it's saturation vapor concentration. I.e., the VOCs fully volatilize, reaching their maximum saturation vapor concentration, but the IVOCs and SVOCs don't, so it's harder to estimate or measure how much of them is in the smoke."Each year, large swaths of forests, grass and peat burn in wildfires, releasing a complex mix of water vapor, ash and carbon-based compounds into the air. Some of these carbon-based compounds are gases called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Others that evaporate and turn into gases at warmer temperatures are known as intermediate- and semi-volatile organic compounds (IVOCs and SVOCs, respectively). And in the air, these partially-volatile compounds form fine particles — pollutants that can be harmful if breathed in — more easily than VOCs."
"However, most studies assessing wildland fire emissions overlook IVOCs and SVOCs because of their large number, which makes it hard to measure these compounds. Researchers led by Shuxiao Wang wanted to take IVOCs and SVOCs emissions along with VOCs into consideration to offer better insight into wildland fires’ impact on air quality, health and climate."
If you've seen Avatar: Fire and Ash (I did), perhaps you're wondering what actress was behind the character of Varang, the leader of the ash clan, the Mangkwan. Varang has two roles in the clan, both the leader/chief, and also the high priestess / spiritual leader.
Enough about that. The actress is Oona Chaplin, Charlie's granddaughter, who was seen in most of her entirety in Game of Thrones before she had a particularly bad experience at a wedding banquet.
So, below, Varang and her Game of Thrones character, Talisa Maegyr/Stark.
Scientific American reports on the search for subsurface oceans on some of the moons of the Solar System. They may be harder to find (if they exist) than earlier thought.
New Views of Solar System Moons Complicate Ocean Worlds Theory
The article discusses two research papers about Saturn's unique moon Titan and Jupiter's white-cold moon Europa. Titan might be less interesting than previously thought, with a slushy interior rather than an actual hydrocarbon ocean. Europa probably still has an ocean, but it may be a lot harder to drill down to reach, considering that it might be 20 miles or so under the surface."New observations of Europa gathered by NASA’s Juno mission, however, suggest that the ice shell is on the thicker side of scientists’ estimates, closer to 20 miles deep—although the exact depth depends on the ocean’s saltiness.
“There have been theoretical arguments, but this is the first pretty much direct physical measurement,” says Steven Levin, project scientist of the Juno mission and an astrophysicst at JPL.
That calculation is based on data from Juno’s microwave radiometer, an instrument that was designed to peer deep into Jupiter’s atmosphere but that is now turned toward analyzing the planet’s largest moons’ internal structure, too. Remarkably, the measurement was based on only about five minutes of data because of the constraints of the Juno spacecraft’s existing orbit around Jupiter, Levin notes."
I'm a sucker for these lists of the "Best of [ Something ] in Each State". So even though I don't play golf, I do enjoy watching it, particularly a close tournament, because of the nerviness involved.
This list of top golf courses in each state thus caught my interest.
The Best Golf Course in Each State
Since I'm in Maryland, I naturally checked to see which course in Maryland was picked. It's the Bulle Rock course in northeastern Maryland, just inland from Havre de Grace. I've been near it.
The introduction indicates that these courses are accessible to the public, because there are likely great (and with accompanying exorbitant membership fees) private courses. For example, how is the best course in California NOT Pebble Beach? Or in Georgia, wouldn't Augusta National be the number one run of 18 holes? So if you play, these are playable and your wallet might survive the experience.
Two other notes: The course picked in Wisconsin is in the middle of the rural center of the state, which might mean it's not too hard to get a tee time. The private Whistling Straits course on the shore of Lake Michigan north of Sheboygan might be the overall best course.
Two, there is a lot of great scenery around these courses. The Divide Ranch & Club in Colorado stands out in this category. It also happens to be just a little north of the mining towns Ouray and Telluride.
A view from the course:
