And nuclear too

 

The Washington Post reports on the state of global energy;  renewables vs. conventional sources.

Renewables are on track to satiate the world's appetite for electricity

It has a very interesting opening.

"Renewable energy and nuclear power will meet almost all of the growth in global demand for electricity over the next three years, according to a report released today by the International Energy Agency."

Nuclear power -- really?

Yes, really.

"Nuclear output will also increase as France completes scheduled maintenance on its nuclear fleet, while new plants come online in Asia."

So people saying there's no future for nuclear apparently paying attention to the IEA.

Nothing is certain - but nuclear energy isn't going away.  And it shouldn't. 

Do you think she forgot something?

 

My blog has featured Demi Rose (Mawby) many times.   Not sure when the last time was, but she continues to be worth featuring.

She's been traveling, to Arabic locales, and has been seeing the sights while being a sight herself (sometimes in ethnic garb, sometimes in her own garb).

This time was about her wearing some of her own garb.  Or lack thereof.

Demi Rose leaves little to the imagination as she flaunts her eye-popping curves in a sheer scarf and a gold bra while holidaying in Egypt

"Demi Rose wore one of her most daring looks yet in Egypt on Friday.

The model and influencer, 27, left little the imagination as she skipped the underwear wearing just a sheer scarf around her waist.

Demi put her dangerous curves on display in her outfit, teaming her scarf with a gold bra as she posed for some racy snaps."

"Racy" is Daily Mail-speak for pretty hot and showing a lot of skin.

 

Yes, I think they're right about the "skipping the underwear" part.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Metal detector people keep doing this (rarely)

 

I suppose that the fascination of using metal detectors is more than finding bottle caps, loose change, and the occasional spent bullet cartridge (depends on where you do it, of course).  It must be that there's a chance, however tiny, that one might possible defined a treasure or historical artifact of some kind.

So what keeps a lot of people doing it is the fact that a very few people have done that -- found the rare historical artifact with both historical and monetary significance.

So here's one of the more recent examples.

Metal Detector Hobbyist Finds a 500-Year-Old Pendant Linked to Henry VIII

"The pendant itself was an ornate spectacle: The front was decorated with a pomegranate bush, an emblem of Katherine, and an entwined, double-headed Tudor rose, which was employed by the Tudors starting in 1486. On the other side, the letters H and K — for Henry and Katherine — were written in Lombardic script and connected by a ribbon."

Here's the pendant itself. 

Same water, new ice

 

I knew there were a couple of different kinds of ice that can form depending on temperature and pressure.

But hey, here's another one.

Alien slush? Scientists create an entirely new type of ICE that neither floats nor sinks – and could be a clue to life beyond Earth

"The new form of ice is amorphous, which means that unlike ordinary crystalline ice - in which the molecules arrange themselves in a regular pattern - its molecules are in a disorganised form and resemble a liquid."

Professor Christoph Salzmann said "'We know of 20 crystalline forms of ice, but only two main types of amorphous ice have previously been discovered, known as high-density and low-density amorphous ices."

And I will point out, the regular form of ice is important, too.

 

A couple of Amanda

 

I continue to be impressed by Britain's Got Talent judge, TV presenter, and celebrity Amanda Holden.

Apparently she also has a habit of liking to be nude in her personal domestic setting (aka home).

I'm impressed by that, too.  It'd be a nice lifestyle to live with if one was domesticizing with someone who has this kind of looks to like. 

Definitely a Mother I'd Like to ... Admire.  (MILA)

'It's a yes from me!' Amanda Holden, 51, shows off her fab physique in red lace lingerie as evergreen presenter poses for racy Valentine's Day post

Amanda Holden shows off her jaw-dropping figure in a tiny pink bikini as she celebrates her 52nd birthday in an exotic location

OH MANDY! Amanda Holden sends fans wild as she strips naked and poses in just a bathrobe

"It comes after she told Alan Carr how much she loved getting her kit off.
She told him: "I hate wearing clothes", to which he replied: "You are basically a nudist."
Agreeing, Amanda admitted: "I am actually.”

HOLD-EN A MINUTE! BGT judge Amanda Holden cooks in the nude saying ‘I spend a lot of time naked in my house’

I can't believe they're still finding stuff in the pyramids

 

Yes, they are still finding neat archaeological stuff in the Egyptian pyramids.

But they are!  Actual real important stuff, too.

52-foot-long Book of the Dead papyrus from ancient Egypt discovered at Saqqara

For the first time in 100 years, a full "Book of the Dead" papyrus has been uncovered at Saqqara.

"The Step Pyramid of Djoser was constructed during the reign of the pharaoh Djoser (ruled circa 2630 B.C. to 2611 B.C.) and was the first pyramid the Egyptians built. The area around the step pyramid was used for burials for millennia. Indeed, the coffin that housed the newfound papyrus dates to the Late Period (circa 712 B.C. to 332 B.C.), Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former minister of Antiquities, told Live Science in an email. Information about who owned the papyrus and its precise date will be announced soon, Hawass said.

The Book of the Dead is a modern-day name given to a series of texts the Egyptians believed would help the dead navigate the underworld, among other purposes. They were widely used during the New Kingdom (circa 1550 B.C. to 1070 B.C.)."

So, this is a remarkable discovery.

What could go wrong if they translate it and read it out loud?

The Ice Age returns in 4 years?

 

This post is not about climate change.  It's about genetic engineering.

A lab team thinks that they can rebreed the woolly mammoth back into existence in 4 years.  Seriously.

Scientists Are Reincarnating the Woolly Mammoth to Return in 4 Years

"The long-dead woolly mammoth will make its return from extinction by 2027, says Colossal, the biotech company actively working to reincarnate the ancient beast.

Last year, the Dallas-based firm scored an additional $60 million in funding to continue the, well, mammoth gene-editing work it started in 2021. If successful, not only will Colossal bring back an extinct species—one the company dubs a cold-resistant elephant—but it will also reintroduce the woolly mammoth to the same ecosystem in which it once lived in an effort to fight climate change, according to a recent Medium post."

So,

A.  I'll believe it when I see it.

B.  I hope, if it can really be done, I get a chance to see it.

C.  I'm not sure if it's a good idea, though.

REAL Genius

 

This actually happened in the state of Maryland, and given all the other sciency stuff in the state (the James Webb Space Telescope, the asteroid redirection mission, the NIH and NSA and NASA and universities like Johns Hopkins and UMBC and University of Maryland - College Park (and a few others), it's apparent they we are high on the nerdy pyramid.

So it should not be a surprise that what is described in this article happened here, too.

Nearly 50-meter Laser Experiment Sets Record In Campus Hallway

"Their efforts were to temporarily transfigure thin air into a fiber optic cable—or, more specifically, an air waveguide—that would guide light for tens of meters. Like one of the fiber optic internet cables that provide efficient highways for streams of optical data, an air waveguide prescribes a path for light. These air waveguides have many potential applications related to collecting or transmitting light, such as detecting light emitted by atmospheric pollution, long-range laser communication or even laser weaponry. With an air waveguide, there is no need to unspool solid cable and be concerned with the constraints of gravity; instead, the cable rapidly forms unsupported in the air. In a paper accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review XPhysical Review X the team described how they set a record by guiding light in 45-meter-long air waveguides and explained the physics behind their method."

Yes, it's from Worcester

 

Fascinating and somewhat long article about how Worcestershire sauce got started (and where), what's in it (apparently), and how ubiquitous it is.

The Murky, Salty Mystery of Worcestershire Sauce

"The actual story of Worcestershire sauce doesn’t begin until more than a millennium after the fall of Rome. In 1823, English chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins decided to open a pharmacy on Broad Street in Worcester, near the River Severn. Chemists and druggists in those days were not regulated like apothecaries, and they sold all manner of goods—including medicines, toiletries, and food—which may explain why two pharmacists apparently thought it was reasonable to start fermenting fish sauce in the back of their shop. But they certainly did not start making Worcestershire sauce immediately: According to Lea & Perrins’ official company history, the first batch of Worcestershire sauce, having matured in casks for 18 months, wasn’t introduced to the world until 1837."

Lighthouse of the Week, February 19-25, 2023: Los Monjes del Sur, Venezuela

 

You have to look closely at a map to see these Venezuelan islands, which are located out in the Caribbean Sea, and a bit outside the mouth of the Gulf of Venezuela.  Have a look here. 

The lighthouse, on Los Monjes del Sur island, is also a Venezuelan Coast Guard station, and pretty remote. I don't think I'd want to be stationed here.  So here's a bit about it, and there's not a lot to know about it.  

"2003 (station established 1952). Active; focal plane 87 m (285 ft); white flash every 10.6 s. 13 m (42 ft) round rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with a red horizontal band, attached to a 1-story service building. This station is staffed by the Venezuelan Navy. ... The light guides vessels entering the Gulf of Venezuela from the Caribbean Sea."

Because it's both remote and not very touristy (at all), there are very few pictures of it.  One picture below (taken by Rainer Radloff) shows the island with a barely-visible lighthouse on it.

Boom Supersonic has an engine builder

 

Boom Supersonic, which is intending to build commercial supersonic aircraft, has found someone to build their engines, after their partnership with Rolls Royce ended.

I still don't think they're going to fly a plane, let alone several planes.  But they obviously will need an engine if they're going to try.

Boom taps Kratos to power supersonic plane Overture, delays rollout

It doesn't sound like it's going to be easy.

Another great environmental move by the Biden administration

 

I've been close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota (at least part of it) when on a vacation drive up the Lake Superior coast toward Grand Portage.  But I've never actually been in it.  Still, wilderness conservation is important, and mining in the middle of a wilderness is rarely a good idea.

So, applause applause for this move by the Biden administration.

Biden protects vast wilderness area in Minnesota from mining

"Senior officials at the [Interior] department see the wilderness there as a unique place, irreplaceable and easily damaged because of the immense and fragile connections between all the waterways that dot the region. In 2021, the Biden administration launched a scientific analysis, which found mining could cause irreparable damage to the region’s nature and culture, officials said Thursday. It found several examples in the last decade where containment efforts failed and other leaks from mines in the region caused such damage, an Agriculture Department official said."

Worth protecting:

 

Well yes, of course that's right

 

Every now and then, New York Times columnists Gail Collins and Bret Stephens have a chat that is also an op-ed column.

They discussed lyin' congressman George Santos a couple of weeks ago (as I write this).   Their conclusions weren't surprising.

There’s a Line on George Santos’s Résumé That No One Can Cross Out

"George Santos is what you inevitably get once you’ve already normalized Donald Trump, Roy Moore, Lauren Boebert and “Space Laser” Greene. After them, what’s another pathological liar, more or less? I know some Nassau County Republicans like the former congressman Peter King are demanding he step down."

All you have to do is slow down

 

Save the Whales (in some places) means just taking a few knots off the cruise speed.

To Stop Whale Strikes, Ships Were Asked To Slow Down.  It Worked.

"And the results? In 2021, NOAA says all the slowing down meant a 50% reduction in whale strikes.

And for the companies—incentives ranged from $5,000 to $50,000 per company depending on how much they slowed down."

(And it also helps improve air quality.)

Nice and au naturel

 

Some artistic depictions of the female form, and not much else.

Hope Beel showers

'

Rosa Brighid becomes art

                    Rosa on the rocks

Genevieve Morton stares us down

Valenti Vitel on the edge

OK, Oliver, we agree on this

 

Oliver Stone came out in favor of nuclear power to address climate change.

Now, his opinion doesn't carry a lot of scientific or social weight, but it's still an example of clear-headed thinking on what we need to do, collectively, to address both energy generation and climate change.

‘It’s going to be a miserable existence’: Oliver Stone slams environmental movement for blocking nuclear power and warns of dystopian world of ‘hurricanes, fires, droughts’ without it

The Oscar-winner's new documentary, which he is promoting at Davos, touts the use of nuclear power as a green option that has been falsely maligned

Stone said this:

"  'We had the solution [nuclear power]...and the environmental movement, to be honest, just derailed it,' he told CNBC.

'I think the environmental movement did a lot of good, a lot of good. [I’m] not knocking it, but in this one major matter, it was wrong. It was wrong,' he added.

'And what they did was so destructive, because by now we would have 10,000 nuclear reactors built around the world and we would have set an example like France set for us, but no one ...followed France, or Sweden for that matter.' "

If I had the chance to talk to the director, I'd point something out to him.  Yes, the environmental movement did demonize nuclear power as dangerous (and Three Mile Island and Fukushima and Chernobyl didn't help).   And big nuclear plants are expensive, but modular, same-design reactors are a much better alternative.

The thing that he should be set straight on is the role that climate change denial and misinformation had in this.  For years, the fossil fuel industry, aided and abetted by both paid and unpaid deniers, made it seem that anthropogenic climate change was either not happening or not a big deal.  We now know that ExxonMobil's own scientists knew it was happening and that the models of it were basically right.  So they and all the lying climate change deniers they funded, and the unpaid minions who either ignorantly or knowledgeably spread the lies, are guilty of suppressing the urgency of changing our national and global energy production system.

That's why I detest them. I don't detest environmentalists, because their hearts are in the right place even if they are misguided.  But the climate change denier liars are guilty of lying and endangering both Earth's and humanity's future.

 

Not exactly tomorrow, but still

 

When Greek (or Roman/Italian) volcanoes go boom, they can occasionally go BIG boom.

As in ... Pompeii getting wiped out by Vesuvius.

Or most of Minoan civilization getting smashed by Thera (the remnants of which are known as Santorini). 

So now there's Kolumbo.

Kolumbo is located near the aforementioned Santorini, but it's underwater.

So here's the problem.

Hidden Magma Chamber Reaching Critical Point 'Poses Serious Threat'

"Scientists, who have published a study on the chamber in the American Geophysical Union's Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Geosystems, have determined that the magma chamber under Kolumbo increases the chances of a future eruption. They believe it could reach a critical point in the next 150 years and pose a "serious threat."

"Kolumbo could potentially produce a highly explosive eruption. Scientists compare it to the recent eruption of Hunga Tonga, which last erupted in January 2022 and caused tsunami waves up to 66 feet high.

Scientists report that a Kolumbo eruption could be more destructive than the recent Tonga eruption due to its close proximity to Santorini—which is a well-known tourist destination. Popular hotspots on the island are only 4 miles from the volcano.

As the volcano is also in a shallow area of the sea, lying 1,600 feet below the surface of the ocean, this could make the explosion even bigger.

Underwater volcanoes like this have the potential to cause destructive tsunami waves as well as ashfall.

Although an explosion does not appear imminent, the findings of the study show scientists that the area needs increased monitoring."

That's probably a good idea.

We're going to need more demigods

 

There were lots of moons in the news recently.

First, Saturn got 20 more.

BREAKING: Astronomers just found 20 NEW Moons orbiting an Alien-World in our Solar System

"Astronomers have discovered 20 new moons around Saturn, bringing the total to 82. This outnumbers Jupiter, which previously held the record with 79 moons. ...  A team led by Scott S. Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science discovered the moons using the Subaru Telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea."

But wait, Jupiter will not be denied.

Jupiter now has 92 moons, surpassing Saturn for record

"Jupiter now has 92 confirmed moons with orbits published by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center. This includes 12 newly announced moons, half of which were first spotted around Jupiter within the past two years. The 12 new jovian moons are enough for the king of planets to rightfully reclaim its title as king of satellites as well."

King of the Moons

Lighthouse of the Week, February 12-18, 2023: Cape Chikyu Lighthouse, Hokkaido, Japan

 

Crossing to the other side of the Pacific Ocean from last week's lighthouse, this time we are looking at the Cape Chikyu (also spelled Chikiu) Lighthouse on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.  This lighthouse has a great view overlooking the ocean, so let's see where that is.  I zoomed way out to placed it on the island.  It's near the city of Muroran, which you will be able to see when you zoom in.

Now let's find out more (from the Lighthouse Directory, naturally). 

"1920. Active; focal plane 131 m (430 ft); two white flashes every 30 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a small 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. ... This picturesque spot is a popular one, but the lighthouse grounds are closed; all photos (like the one at right) are taken from the scenic overlook higher on the cape."

So, there are four pictures below of this week's pick.

Lighthouse of the Week, February 5-11, 2023: Cape Decision Lighthouse, Alaska, USA

 

Well, when it came time to decide on a lighthouse for this week, I ended up deciding on Cape Decision.  (You know that I had to write something like this.)  According to my unofficial count, this is my fifth Alaska lighthouse as Lighthouse-of-the-Week.

So, where is the Cape Decision that the Cape Decision lighthouse is located on?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  The nearest place with a recognizable name is Ketchikan, but it's pretty far away.  So see where it is here.  Because of accessibility, it has it's own helipad.

And below, learn more about it there.

"1932. Active; focal plane 96 ft (29 m); white flash every 5 s. 76 ft (23 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on the roof of a square concrete fog signal building; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1996). The original 3rd order Fresnel lens is on display at the Clausen Museum in Petersburg. The lighthouse is white concrete; the lantern is painted black. ... In 2004 ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society, which is working to restore the light station."

Lighthouse Friends, Cape Decision, AK has more information, including a picture of the Fresnel lens.  

Pictures and a video below - of a helicopter flight to the lighthouse, because that's about the only way to get there.

That's great news

 

If you watched the movie The Swimmers (if not, I recommend it, even if you aren't a competitive swimmer or if you aren't interested in competitive swimming), it does not give much away to note that the older sister in the movie was arrested in Greece for her efforts as part of an organization to help rescue refugees.  She was not smuggling them or helping them go anywhere else or get citizenship or aid somewhere else -- she and her colleagues were basically just making sure that people didn't drown.

Anyway, some of the most immediate charges were dropped.  I guess the whole saga isn't over, but I get the impression (hopefully) that it won't go much further.

Greek court rejects charges against aid workers, including Sarah Mardini of ‘The Swimmers’

The article has a tiny little spoiler in it, but if you read anything about the movie itself, you'll probably figure that part out.

This is worth waiting for

 

I really don't have to write much more in this particular blog post.

Michelle Keegan shows off her gorgeous figure in a cut-out bandeau black swimsuit as she poses for a beachy photoshoot

But I will write a little more;  it's actually her own swimwear line, and she/it is basically selling one suit, but in different colors.  The name of the swimwear line is Orfila Bee.   So if you want to know more about it, click on that name below.

Orfila Bee

Tyrannosaurus Rex: smarter than advertised?

 

So, was the big bad and considered not-to-smart Tyrannosaurus Rex actually smarter than has been thunk for a long time in paleontological circles?

Maybe.

The T. rex may have been a lot smarter than you thought

"Extrapolating from emus and ostriches, [Vanderbilt neurologist/biologist Suzana] Herculano-Houzel estimated the T. rex’s cerebrum had as many as 3 billion neurons, comparable to a baboon’s brain. Another terrifying carnivorous dinosaur called the Alioramus, meanwhile, had over 1 billion, similar to a capuchin monkey. 

 If the T. rex’s cognition approached that of a baboon’s, the dinosaur may have been capable of using tools and passing down knowledge through generations, Herculano-Houzel said."

Hmm ... a tool-using gigantic dinosaurian predator?  That's not scary.

See?

 

View of Monte Pelmo

 

The Italian Dolomites are scenic marvels, with an award-winning photograph possible around practically every other curve of the mountain roads, which have lots of curves.   Here's a Streetview example of one of the more notable peaks, Monte Pelmo.

That's still a long long way away

 

When you think about movies like Avatar or Alien: Covenant, or the new Syfy series The Ark (or other colonizing the planets sagas, like the Dragonriders of Pern or Larry Niven's "Known Space"), the significant problem is getting there.  Now, a different example was the world of Firefly, because it had several colonized worlds in the same system -- and something similar to that has already been found, TRAPPIST-1, which recently got a look from the James Webb Space Telescope.   So if there were a several habitable planets in a single system - not necessarily likely - getting between them would be easier, as interplanetary space is a lot smaller than interstellar space.

TRAPPIST-1 is only 39 light years away, and the JWST very recently found it's first exoplanet, another rocky world, LHS 475b, only 41 light years away. Very short distances, speaking galactically.  But still a very long way to travel, speaking realistically.

NASA’s Webb Confirms Its First Exoplanet

So figure - if it were possible to get up to speed, say 90% of the speed of light (which realistically is still the law), it would still take a colony ship around 40 years to get to either TRAPPIST-1 or LHS 475b.  So there would have to be a really great and reliable hybernation/hypersleep system, and it would have to be paired with a propulsion system the likes of which does not exist now (and then there's also the problem of slowing down when you get there).

So while we can write the stories and make the movies, actual implementation -- and a backup Earth -- isn't very realistic.

There's always starseeding, as was done in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and which has been part of other sci-fi envisionings, but that's a different idea with a very long lead time and requiring a lot of patience.

Babs and bras

 

It isn't Valentine's Day yet, so I can mention this article about lovely Barbara Palvin modeling lingerie.

Barbara never was the traditional slender-yet-busty lingerie model that Victoria's Secret made popular (until the recent move toward more inclusivity in body shapes and styles).  But she's just so darned uniquely beautiful that she always catches the eye, and then entertains it.

So thanks for the shots, Barbara.

Red-y for Valentine's Day! Model Barbara Palvin stuns in lacy bras and undies for the new Victoria's Secret campaign

"Reversing Trump" is always good to see in a headline

 

So here's that happy headline (and I should add, "reversing Trump" is especially great when it's an environmentally related story):

EPA broadens protections for U.S. waterways, reversing Trump

"Jon Devine, director of federal water policy for the Natural Resources Defense Council, meanwhile called the Biden rule “sensible, good-government action.”

And indeed it is.

"The environmental group and others estimated that Trump’s regulatory regime would remove federal protections from roughly half the nation’s wetlands and at least 1.19 million miles of rain-dependent streams and rivers. Biden’s rule would bring much of those wetlands and waterways back under EPA’s regulatory authority, though it would not go so far as Obama’s 2015 rule."

These constituents are very pleased by the new rule.

Lighthouse of the Week, January 29 - February 4, 2023: The Needles, UK

 

This is another lighthouse that also has a live Webcam view (here), which is on 24 hours a day, so it's possible to even see the lighthouse flashing its light at night.

This one has a quite dramatic setting, too, with steep white chalk rocks behind it.  It has a somewhat strange shape, but that makes it easier to land helicopters on top of it.

So where is it, you are asking?  It is located here, at the farthest western endpoint of the Isle of Wight, which lies south of England proper, southeast of Bournemouth and northwest of Southampton. I'm sure you've got that triangulated now.

So now let's actually find out the pertinent information regarding this one, with information from the Lighthouse Directory.

"1859 (James Walker). Station established 1785. Active; focal plane 24 m (80 ft); white, red, or green light depending on direction, two 2 s occultations every 20 s. 31 m (102 ft) cylindrical granite tower, incorporating keeper's quarters, with lantern and a helipad built above the lantern. The original 2nd order Fresnel lens remains in use. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. ... This famous lighthouse marks the western entrance to the Solent, the protected sound behind the Isle of Wight. In 2010 a £500,000 project rebuilt the base of the lighthouse, which was threatened by erosion by the sea. In 2023 Trinity House renovated and upgraded the interior, replacing obsolete equipment and installing new doors and windows. Located at the rocky western tip of the Isle of Wight, west of Alum Bay."

Below, pictures and a video.  There are numerous pictures and videos of this one, and likely stamps and models, too.