Lighthouse of the Week, August 27 - September 2, 2023: Cape Pembroke, Falkland Islands

 

Finding this lighthouse involved first wondering if there are lighthouses in Antarctica (there are coastal lights, but not really lighthouses), and then looking for a lighthouse on South Georgia Island (unsuccessful), and then trying the Falkland Islands. And there are a few.

This one is fairly close to the largest town on the Falkland Islands, Stanley. This is where it's located. I also found the nice graphic image below for those in the audience who might not know where the Falklands are.

Now that we've seen the artistic version, let's learn more about it via Lighthouse Directory information.

"1907 (station established 1855). Inactive since 1982. 21 m (69 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted black with a broad white horizontal band below the lantern. The 3rd order Fresnel lens installed in 1907 was smashed by vandals in 1982. The active light (1987; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes every 20 s) has been moved atop a short post nearby ... Prefabricated in London, the original lighthouse was an 18 m (60 ft) cast iron tower. It was meant to warn ships away from the Billy Rock, a very dangerous reef about 800 m (1/2 mi) offshore. The original foundation deteriorated seriously and in 1906-07 the current lighthouse was built on a new foundation about 180 m (200 yd) west of the original location. The lighthouse was deactivated after being damaged in the 1982 war between Britain and Argentina. ... In recent years volunteers have worked to restore the lighthouse as a tourist attraction and historical monument.The 150th anniversary of the lighthouse was celebrated on December 1, 2005."

I will note that in searching for pictures, many of them showed the lighthouse with rust stains on the white band. At some point that was either cleaned or painted over (maybe both), because they are also pictures of the lighthouse looking brighter, without the stains.  I've got both "versions" below.

 

Going a bit dotty

 

Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

Well, what more can be said?

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson unleashes bizarre rant about Covid pandemic and claims it was 'pre-planned' by unnamed elites with the goal of taking away human rights

"Johnson continued: 'This is all pre planned by an elite group of people. This is very concerning in terms of what has happened, what is happening, what continues to be planned for our loss of freedom.

'It needs to be exposed but unfortunately there are very few people in Congress who are willing to take a look at this, they all pushed a vaccine.

'So many people just simply don't want to admit they were wrong and they are going to do everything they can to assure they are not proving wrong."

I guess it's not nice to call him completely nuts.

But it's hard to deny it.

Back to Elisabetta

 

Back a few years ago, when she was dating George Clooney, I featured a couple of articles about lovely and lithe Elisabetta Canalis.  Well, George moved on, and so did she. 

But she still looks really good.

In the particular way the Daily Mail puts it in a headline:

George Clooney's ex Elisabetta Canalis, 44, sends temperatures soaring in a tiny black bikini during sexy photoshoot in Sardinia

Apparently (and unfortunately), one reason for the sexy shots is that her marriage, which included birthing a child, recently ended (or is in the process of ending). 

China moves ahead on nuclear with an SMR

 

OK, they are still burning a LOT of coal in China.

But China is also doing with nuclear energy what I think has to be done with nuclear energy -- building small reactors. 

If they can build a LOT of small modular reactors (SMRs), it's a few steps in the proper direction.

China installs core module of world's first commercial small nuclear reactor

"It [an SMR] can be applied in multiple scenarios like seawater desalination, urban district heating, industrial steam supply and oil extraction.

The reactor will not only facilitate building Hainan into a "clean energy island" and meeting the country's dual carbon goals toward carbon peak and neutrality, but also promote the global development of nuclear energy."

They get it. Can we?

Bundchen, Ratajkowski, Swanepoel, Lima - pay attention

 

New lingerie/bra campaign from Victoria's Secret.

Gisele Bundchen joined by Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber and more fashion stars in stunning new campaign for Victoria's Secret Icon bra

Here's a Swanepoel shot.

Important nuclear news

 

This happened a few weeks ago.  After years of construction (and delays, and overruns, and the discovery of a whale ancestor), the Vogtle nuclear power plant Unit 3 finally came online and is generating power.

Yay.  We need a lot more of that, and soon.

Vogtle Unit 3 goes into operation

"Vogtle Unit 3 is the first newly-constructed nuclear unit in the U.S. in over 30 years and can power an estimated 500,000 homes and businesses. Once all four units are online, the Plant Vogtle site will be the largest generator of clean energy in the nation and support continued growth in Georgia as more industries, businesses and families come to the state.

“Today is a historic day for the State of Georgia, Southern Company, and the entire energy sector, as we continue transforming the way we power the lives of millions of Americans,” said Chris Womack, president and CEO of Southern Company. “With Unit 3 completed, and Unit 4 in the final stages of construction and testing, this project shows just how new nuclear can and will play a critical role in achieving a clean energy future for the United States. Bringing this unit safely into service is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our teams at Southern Company and the thousands of additional workers who have helped build that future at this site, as well as all of the partners who have helped make this day a reality.”

Clint Eastwood has had a quite a "private" life

 

I won't go into details here, but the Daily Mail article does. Clint Eastwood has been a Hollywood icon, acting in numerous notable roles, establishing more than one memorable screen persona, and also directing acclaimed and award-winning movies.

And in his private life, he had wives and girlfriends and children, legitimate, illegitimate, and not even aware of.

So, if you're interested, the article has all the details.

As Clint Eastwood's mistress dies at 93, FEMAIL lifts the lid on his torrid love life - from explosive cheating scandals and on-set affairs to his ex's shocking abuse lawsuit

The director, now 93, has fathered eight children with six women over the years
He has been embroiled in a series of cheating scandals and controversial affairs
Most recently, he was linked to a hostess who is 33 years younger than him

I haven't used this term for a long time, but this is classic "silverback" activity. He's the biggest ape in the pack, he gets and impregnates the babes because of his reputation, and even if he's aging and silvery (he is), he still keeps bedding the young females.

But he's made lots of great movies.

Hey, I remember her!

 

I was perusing the Daily Mail, and a name popped up that I thought I recognized.

Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan makes jaws drop in a VERY skimpy pink bikini as she channels Barbie for latest Instagram glamour shots

Here's the very skimpy pink bikini, with Emma wearing it:

Now, about her and the name recognition; I did feature her a few years ago (2018).

Pictures that make one go 'woof'

And yes, it was quite memorable.

Giving Mabelynn her due

 

Mabelynn Capeluj is a lovely model. She was also Miss California USA in 2013. 

 And in this picture from her Instagram account, she demonstrates maximum loveliness. As well as some serious sexiness.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, it fits fine and you won't be wearing it long, anyway."

How hot can it get?

 

I would not want to experience this condition in person.

Hot-tub-like Persian Gulf fuels 158-degree heat index in Iran

"In coastal Iran on Tuesday [August 8], the heat index leaped as high as 158 degrees (70 Celsius), a level so extreme that it can test the ability of humans to survive outside for more than a few hours.

Heat indexes have regularly surpassed 140 degrees (60 Celsius) in the region in recent weeks, while nights have offered little relief. In populous cities such as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait City, heat indexes have only fallen to 100 to 120 degrees (37.8 to 48.9 Celsius) after dark."

People that say there isn't a climate change crisis don't live in places like this. 

It's also the highest sea surface temperature on August 7 in the Persian Gulf in a 20-year record, rising fairly steadily from a 2009 minimum in that span. 

The bard is banned

 

It seemed inevitable that this was going to happen, but some of Will Shakespeare's most famous works have been banned in Florida because they are ... colorful.

Florida school district cuts back on SHAKESPEARE in the classroom to fall in line with DeSantis' Parental Rights in Education Act because full texts of 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Hamlet' and 'Macbeth' are too raunchy

"Instead of enjoying the full texts of classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth students will be assigned individual excerpts from the plays to study.

'It was also in consideration of the law,' said Tanya Arja, a spokesperson for the school district told the Tampa Bay Times, referring to the controversial bill promoted and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

By using excerpts the schools will be able to include Shakespeare on the syllabus but avoid anything considered inappropriately sexual under the new act."

OK, so just watch the movie(s) at home.

Guess what?  Teenagers fall in love.

Lighthouse of the Week, August 20-26, 2023: Annisquam Harbor, Massachusetts

 

This lighthouse is located near the famed fishing port of Gloucester.  To see where that is and where this lighthouse is, click on this. Somewhat surprisingly, it's not directly on the Atlantic Ocean coast.

So now let's have the Lighthouse Directory tell us more.

"1897 (station established 1801). Active; focal plane 45 ft (13.5 m); white flash every 7.5 s (red sector). 41 ft (12.5 m) round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a workroom; 190 mm lens (1988). Tower painted white; lantern is black. The historic 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house (1801) is used as Coast Guard housing. Fog horn (2 blasts every 60 s). Stone oil house. The tower is connected to shore by a wooden walkway. ... In 2000 the Coast Guard funded major restoration of the tower, repairing interior ironwork, replacing windows, and repointing the brickwork, which required replacing about 3000 bricks."

Below are four pictures.  Given that it's in New England and lighthouses are popular there, plenty of artsy photographs of this one are viewable and available online, too.

Digging up more history in England

 

If you keep digging around jolly old England, you never know what you might find. As is well known, they found the bones of Richard III under a parking lot. And someone recently found a 1,300 year old necklace.  Someone else found a fancy pendant related to Henry VIII.  And they can go out in a field and find a cache of medieval weapons and some personal armor, too.

Of course, it happened again.

Immaculate hoard of gold coins worth £30,000 dating back to Henry VIII unearthed in the grounds of country house in Staffordshire

"A metal detectorist has unearthed a hoard of gold coins worth £30,000, dating back to Henry VIII's reign.

Peter Astley found the nine immaculate half-sovereign pieces on the grounds of historic Ashcombe Park Hall in Staffordshire."

Well, they were immaculate after they cleaned off the dirt.

 

Still a chance?

 

I've always liked actress Sophia Bush.  So, well, she's available again (or soon to be).

Sophia Bush divorcing husband Grant Hughes after just 13 MONTHS of marriage - but will continue to run nonprofit together and 'remain good friends'

It's weird, though, because at their one-year anniversary, they both wrote about how great being married to each other was. 

[Sophia wrote] "Best decision of my life. It still feels just like this. Ecstatic. Running toward the future, grinning and laughing, together. I love you, my favorite. Happy Anniversary [white heart emoji].' 

Meanwhile on June 11, Grant also took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute which is still up also featuring them on their wedding day. He posted a lengthy caption which read: 'What a full, beautiful, dynamic, exciting, growth-filled year we’ve had together. I truly love doing life with you!' "

I wonder what changed so fast?

 

The new national monument

 

We can probably get our uranium (if we need it), from other places. President Biden has designated an area around the Grand Canyon as a new national monument to protect the area against uranium mining.

Biden announces a new national monument near the Grand Canyon

"The monument is dubbed the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona. "Baaj nwaavjo" translates to "where Indigenous people roam" in the Havasupai language, and "i’tah kukveni" translates to "our ancestral footprints" in the Hopi language, the White House said. ...

The designation would limit mining near the Grand Canyon, but valid existing mining claims will not be affected, a senior administration official told reporters on a media call."

Here's a good map of the boundaries of the new national monument.

An "alien" weapon? No, but it is extraterrestrial

 

I have to admit that the headline of this Daily Mail article intrigued me. 

'Alien weapon' made 3,000 years ago is found in Switzerland

Made by aliens? 

A laser cannon brought to Earth 3,000 years ago?

A sword with a handle made for an entity with three fingers?

No, it's not that exciting.  It's a weapon made on Earth, but made from an iron meteorite.

"The arrowhead - made out of a meteorite - was found by researchers from the University of Bern at an ancient Bronze Age site called Mörigen in Switzerland.

Geologists tested the artifact's composition, which includes aluminum-26, a short-lived isotope once abundant in the early solar system - but it is not naturally found on Earth."

In fact, it was probably made from a meteorite that fell in what is now Estonia.

This article from the Smithsonian magazine is somewhat more balanced.

This arrowhead was made from a meteorite 3,000 years ago

So here's the little alien arrowhead. 

Trying to save Venice

 

It's not news that the unique city of Venice has a host of troubles. It gets regularly flooded, it's inundated with tourists, the economy is suffering, and hardly anybody can afford to keep their homes from sinking and decaying.

So it is not a surprise that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is considering declaring it an endangered heritage site.

UNESCO wants to add Venice to list of endangered heritage sites

"While Venice has battled a tourist influx for years (25 million annual visitors pre-pandemic), the more recent and urgent threats from climate change, including rising seas and extreme weather events, have left many experts demanding stringent action. The agency has long warned that climate change poses one of the most serious threats to preserving cultural heritage sites.

Climate scientists have warned that Venice could be entirely underwater by 2100. Record floods surged through the city in 2019, damaging St. Mark’s Basilica and temporarily shuttering cultural sites. In the years since, sea walls have protected Venice from another deluge and, in December, the city surrounded the famous basilica with glass barriers to hold back high tides."

Trying to keep cool drives up CO2

 

Interesting Washington Post article about how extreme heat is causing more fossil fuel use -- as people try to stay cool.

‘Vicious cycle’: Heat waves ramp up global burning of fossil fuels

"The United States is setting records for natural gas consumption this week at the power plants that keep the nation’s air conditioners humming, according to estimates from S&P Global Commodity Insights. In China, power plants are burning more coal to keep up with electricity needs, helping to feed a record pace in demand this year for the world’s largest source of carbon dioxide, the International Energy Agency said Thursday."

And this:

"Last year, nearly a fifth of the global increase in carbon dioxide emissions came from increased energy demand during extreme weather, the IEA said in March. Its report on global carbon dioxide concluded that summer heat waves were the primary reason that the United States and China, the world’s two largest emitters, did not reduce their emissions for the year. In the United States, gas consumption was the culprit, rising to cool buildings as electricity demand peaked, the IEA said."

There are a few ways to address the problem;  solar power will work when it's hot and sunny.  But it will take years to have enough.

But hot parking lots are a good place to put more solar panels. 

I'd like to make a LONG distance call

 

This caught my eye.

I wonder if they'll get spam calls on the Moon.

NASA and Nokia Bell Labs to establish first 4G cellular network on Moon

"Nokia Bell Labs is to install the first-ever 4G/LTE cellular network on the Moon, thereby demonstrating that cellular technologies can provide the critical communications needed for future space missions.

To facilitate this endeavor, Nokia is teaming up with Intuitive Machines and Lunar Outpost for an uncrewed lunar mission, IM-2, to deploy the cellular network to the lunar surface."

They plan to communicate with two rovers on the surface.

Here's the video:

I'd consider a small bet on there being an app within a year of a successful landing that allows people on the Earth's surface to watch as the rovers rove on the lunar surface. 

Lighthouse of the Week, August 13-19, 2023: Wood Island, Maine, USA

 

I thought I knew most of the well-known lighthouses of Maine after doing this Lighthouse of the Week thing for several years, but this one was a discovery via a webcam.  Actually drove up the Maine coast once and got near it, but didn't see it, though I saw a few others on that trip.  

It's well-known and well-photographed, and probably oft-visited, too. After the map and the info, I'll provide a couple other websites about this one.

So, mapwise, this shows where it is in relation to nearby Saco, and not-very-far-away Portland.  This is the map.

Now for the Lighthouse Directory excerpt:

"1808. Active; focal plane 71 ft (21.5 m); flash every 5 s, alternating white and green. 47 ft (14 m) round rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, attached to a 2-story wood keeper's house (1906); VRB-25 aerobeacon (1972). Lantern and gallery painted black. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s). The lantern was removed in 1972 and rebuilt in 1986. This is Maine's second oldest lighthouse and the nation's eleventh oldest. The bell tower was destroyed by a storm in the 1960s but the 1872 bell was saved and is on display at Vine's Landing in Biddeford Pool" ... 

" In 2008, following the installation of a new handrail, the tower was opened to guided tours. The tower was refurbished in 2009 and in 2011 the exterior of the keeper's house was restored. In 2015 a private donation funded a $218,000 project to completely restore the keeper's house. The keeper's house is occupied by resident keepers May through December. Located on an island off the mouth of the Saco River northeast of Biddeford Pool. Most of the island is a wildlife sanctuary administered by the Maine Audubon Society."

List of other websites about it:

Wood Island Lighthouse -- a website about this lighthouse

Wood Island Lighthouse - New England Lighthouses

Wood Island Lighthouse, Maine - Lighthouse Friends

A Complete Guide to Wood Island Lighthouse, Maine -- Maine Lighthouse Museum

Pictures are below. Not many of pictures of just the tower, as the lighthouse keeper's house is so close to it.

Psyche gets ready for Psyche

 

The NASA Psyche spacecraft/mission is getting its final readiness checks before shipping to the launchpad. It's schedule to launch in October -- October 5 if nothing changes.

The mission is to go visit Psyche, the asteroid, an asteroid that might be made of heavy metal, including precious metal.  "Might" and "maybe" apply.

So first, an article about the readiness prep.

NASA’s Psyche mission prepares to explore golden asteroid worth quadrillions

" “Our focus has shifted to safely completing the final mechanical closeout of the spacecraft and preparing the team for operations,” said Henry Stone, Psyche’s project manager in a statement on July 18, 2023."

OK, now a bit more about Psyche. Is it really worth that much?

Probably not.

16 Psyche: An asteroid once thought to be worth $700 quintillion

"If the Brown and Purdue University team's estimates are found to be true, 16 Psyche might be viewed by prospective miners as the asteroid equivalent of a fraudulent gold bar that's really cheap metal covered in gold coating."

This is the best look that telescopes have provided thus far.

No reason to wonder why

 

Gee, what a non-surprise.

‘I’m not wanted’: Florida universities hit by brain drain as academics flee

"With the start of the 2023-24 academic year only six weeks away, senior officials at New College of Florida (NCF) made a startling announcement in mid-July: 36 of the small honors college’s approximately 100 full-time teaching positions were vacant. The provost, Bradley Thiessen, described the number of faculty openings as “ridiculously high”, and the disclosure was the latest evidence of a brain drain afflicting colleges and universities throughout the Sunshine state.

"Governor Ron DeSantis opened 2023 with the appointment of six political allies to the college’s 13-member board of trustees who vowed to drastically alter the supposedly “woke”-friendly learning environment on its Sarasota campus. At its first meeting in late January, the revamped panel voted to fire the college president, Patricia Okker, without cause and appoint a former Republican state legislator and education commissioner in her place.

Over the ensuing weeks, board members have dismissed the college’s head librarian and director of diversity programs and denied tenure to five professors who had been recommended for approval."

Further down...

"A spokesperson for the office of State University System chancellor, Ray Rodrigues, issued a statement asserting that the “State University System of Florida has not received any concerns from our member institutions indicating turnover this year has been any higher than previous years. Turnover occurs every year.”

But Andrew Gothard, the state-level president of the United Faculty of Florida labor union, predicts a loss of between 20 and 30% of faculty members at some universities during the upcoming academic year in comparison with 2022-23, which would signify a marked increase in annual turnover rates that traditionally have stood at 10% or less."

Well, the less they know, both in terms of knowledge and how to learn, the easier it will be for conservatives to inculcate them. 

What does 'orange' mean?

 

The word orange didn't always mean the color orange. Meaning, the fruit came first.  This is from Word Genius, so now I feel smarter.  I hope you do too.

The Fruit or the Color: Which “Orange” Came First?

"The first mention of a naranga tree appears in a first-century CE Indian medical text, according to linguistic analysis and conversation on the podcast “The Allusionist.” This Sanskrit word originally meant “fruit like elephants” — possibly a reference to the tough, dimpled skin of the giant mammal feeling similar to the citrus fruit. The fruit itself, native to northern India, wasn’t originally described as “orange” in appearance, because no word for the color existed yet. The word for the fruit morphed into different variations as it moved through trading routes, including the Persian narang, the Spanish naranja, and the Sicilian arangia."

Meet the Jetsons

 

Flying cars are not very far in the future now.

Drivable flying cars one step closer after ASKA’s eVTOL passes first test flight

Looks a lot like a helicopter.  It'll need a wide road in the air.

Happy birthday, Cara Delevingne!

 

It's August 12th, which is model Cara Delivingne's birthday.

Gives me an excuse to post a picture of her.  This is her look at the Oscars in 2023.

Lighthouse of the Week, August 6-12, 2023: Mykines Hólmur Lighthouse, Faroe Islands, Denmark

 

I've featured one previous lighthouse on the Faroe Islands, the Kallur lighthouse, which has been photographed a lot.

So I went to the Lighthouse Directory, naturally, and perused the various lighthouses on the Faroe Islands. They look quite similar (and many are distinguished by being stabilized by wires due to the high winds).  I decided on this one, and then discovered it is one of the more visited lighthouses, as the island it is situated on is a Faroe Islands tourist destination.  So it was a good choice.

Here is the location of this lighthouse.

It's actually on an islet, Mykineshólmur, that's next to the larger island of Mykines, which is the westernmost island of the Faroes, so this is the westernmost point of Denmark. There is a small footbridge connecting them, which is how the lighthouse can be reached, after taking the ferry from the main islands. How you get to the main islands is another story.

So let's get the main points of information for this one.

"1909. Active; focal plane 125 m (410 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof painted red. 2nd order (?) Fresnel lens in use. Guy wires have been added to support the lighthouse against the constant winds."

Below are photographs and a video - the lighthouse appears at about 11:30 into the video. Most of the pictures are taken from about the same location, so I was lucky to find one that wasn't. The views look back at the rest of the archipelago;  I would think that the view in the other direction is just out to sea.

 

Below, the video.

Iran is getting thirstier

 

It's hot in Iran, and they're running low on water.

Not a good combination.

Or as the New York Times puts it:

It’s Scorching in Iran, and There’s Less and Less Water to Help
Water shortages from longtime mismanagement have left people with shrinking options, as temperatures spike and growing poverty makes air-conditioning unaffordable for many.

"Iran suffers from what Kaveh Madani, a United Nations water expert who formerly served as deputy head of Iran’s environmental ministry, calls “water bankruptcy,” in which, he said, misguided policies promoting agriculture and development have led water consumption to outstrip supply for so long that there is no way to reverse the depletion.

As groundwater and reservoirs dry up, droughts intensify and climate change pushes temperatures higher. Iranians in rural areas are increasingly unable to afford the trucked-in or store-bought water on which they must rely. Water shortages fueled protests in the historic city of Isfahan and in Khuzestan Province in 2021, and more discontent with the government is brewing over its failure to address the blistering heat."

 Like I said, not a good combination.

New strategy on the Chesapeake

 

Maryland governor Wes Moore announced a new strategy to address the ongoing degradation of the Chesapeake Bay. It will be difficult, but it has to be done.

Gov. Wes Moore pledges new cleanup approach to Chesapeake Bay

This excerpt helps summarize the strategy.

"While many efforts were undertaken in tandem to clean the bay, the overarching tactics of the past decade zeroed in on large targets known as “point-source” polluters, trying to reduce pollution from single sources such as wastewater treatment plants, for example. Those efforts operated on the idea that an overall reduction in pollution would improve water quality.

Moore’s shift will instead focus more on pollution from diffuse sources, known as “nonpoint source” polluters, such as scores of small farms or deforested coast lines that add up to big pollution contributions.

Cleanup efforts have always tried to adopt both point-source and nonpoint source reductions, but the latter has been more slowly adopted. The May report suggested the shift in focus that on Thursday Moore said Maryland would undertake. “Maryland will become the first state in the nation to formally embrace” that approach, Moore said.

Maryland’s new strategy is multifaceted, but one element highlighted by state officials will focus on targeted restoration of shallow water habitat, where conservationists expect to get the most impact from cleaner water and where striped bass and crab nurseries could flourish."

Could be useful

 

The better solar panels get, the more useful they'll be.

Especially if they put them over parking lots,  as I've suggested.

This Guardian article describes how solar panels are getting better.

‘Revolutionary’ solar power cell innovations break key energy threshold

"The breakthrough is adding a layer of perovskite, another semiconductor, on top of the silicon layer. This captures blue light from the visible spectrum, while the silicon captures red light, boosting the total light captured overall. With more energy absorbed per cell, the cost of solar electricity is even cheaper, and deployment can proceed faster to help keep global heating under control.

The perovskite-silicon “tandem” cells have been under research for about a decade, but recent technical improvements have now pushed them past the 30% milestone. Experts said that if the scaling-up of production of the tandem cells proceeds smoothly, they could be commercially available within five years, about the same time silicon-only cells reach their maximum efficiency."

Conceptually, it's not hard to understand.

Even good gun owners f*** up

 

Sad story.  You can take good care of your guns, you can keep them safe, you can keep them out of the hands of children, and you can be an expert, but ...

... bad things still happen with guns. 

Chicago firearms safety instructor, 61, accidentally shoots dead his wife, 60, while cleaning his gun and then turns the weapon on himself

Lesson 1:  Don't clean your guns when other people who might get hurt are in range.

Lesson 2:  Don't clean your guns in your house.

Lesson 3:  Don't have loaded guns in your house.

Seems simple, doesn't it?

"An Illinois firearms safety instructor took his own life after accidentally firing and killing his wife while cleaning his gun.

Simeon Hendrickson, 61, was cleaning one of his weapons in the Chicago suburb of Bollingbrook last Saturday afternoon.

He accidentally discharged the gun and hit his wife Laurie Hendrickson, 60. Police said Simeon Hendrickson then turned the handgun on himself, taking his own life."

Yes, a very sad story.

But preventable. As are a lot of the deaths that are due to guns in this country. 

PREVENTABLE.  If this country had common sense gun control. 

Nice runs, Noah

 

Noah Lyles recently broke a record held by Usain Bolt.

Not one of his world records by time -- nobody has surpassed those yet. But he broke Bolt's record of 200 meter races under 20 seconds.

Incredible Usain Bolt Record Broken by USA’s Noah Lyles, Leaving Fans Blown Away

"The 26-year-old has completed 35 sprints in under 20 seconds after finishing in 19.47 seconds on Sunday [at the London Diamond League meet]. Bolt, who retired in 2017, finished his career with 34 sprints under the 20-second mark."

Here's the race. It was close.