David Almandsmith Although dawn was merely a suggestion in early morning darkness, i woke to sounds of cheery banter and laughter as men and women greeted each other in my end of Hamahlong village. Thatched roofs aren’t sound proof. I turned over – a challenge in a tub-shaped torture device masquerading as a bed – and put … Read more
Submitted by David Almandsmith Mon, 04-04-2022 : 04:51 Dear friend of science and reality, Thank you for putting up with my bent on reality. Today i’m starting out on the topic of ‘Space’ since the above photo is so amazing, but don’t miss the section on ‘Optimism’. SPACE The mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope are currently … Read more
Hello again, faithful follower of science, It’s been a stressful week for the world. I made a small donation to UNICEF. I trust you are also doing what’s right. Now for science: CLIMATE CHANGE The United Nations report, “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,” was released last week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change … Read more
Hello again, dear commendably curious person, NASA just announced that the ISS will be ‘deorbited’ in January 2030 using three Russian rockets, and that future space stations will be built and operated by private industry. NASA just released this somewhat premature In Memoriam. Where are the burning pieces of the ISS going to land? At Point Nemo, … Read more
Hello again dear science aficionados, Whew! The James Webb Space Telescope, JWST, folded open and made it to its destination orbit with no glitches. During the next few months, its 18 primary mirrors – each 1.3m across – will be wiggled and warped to become a single ‘perfect’ telescope mirror using wavefront sensing and control algorithms – … Read more
Greetings dear science-aware reader, I’ve always liked illustrations of plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs. They look so lithe and strong, evoking visions of pelagic ballerinas with the lethality of a T Rex. The fossilized head above came from Cymbospondylus youngorum, an especially large (15-meter-long) ichthyosaur. I wonder whether, unlike Great White Sharks, they would have found humans palatable. ¿And what … Read more
5 Dec 2021 Welcome Dear Reader, I’m sitting in the comfort of an RV with near-freezing temperatures outside (elevation 2,100 m) as i write this SciSchmooze missive. The RV park has WiFi so it’s much like working from home. Here are a few observations you may find interesting. ONE: Renewable energy generation is obvious out in … Read more
Welcome to another SciSchmooze, dear reader. COP26 ends this Friday and has been highly successful in eliciting pledges to actively confront Climate Change from the governmental parties attending. (BTW, COP means Conference of Parties). But “pledges” are not policy; Brazil is a good example. However, i believe that pledges are more than ‘Greenwashing.’ I believe they … Read more
Happy Halloween, y’all. Take a look at the above illustration. To me it resembles a monstrous lupine head, jaws wide, confronting a screaming person or demon with arms held straight. In reality, it was lava flowing down the side of Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands last week. Here’s a truly scary thought: Dinosaur sex. ¿How … Read more
3 October 2021 If you are awed by volcanoes near as much as i, check out this live feed or this live feed of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands. (More interesting in daylight but more awesome at night.) Or view it from the perspective of a (suicidal) drone. Chunks of lava are being blasted … Read more