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petronius
petronius's Journal
petronius's Journal
April 14, 2024
Baby penguins dive off 50-foot cliff in 1st-of-its-kind footage from National Geographic
Baby penguins dive off 50-foot cliff... (Spoiler: they survive happily)
Found it on Fox, but it's too awesome not to share!
Baby penguins dive off 50-foot cliff in 1st-of-its-kind footage from National Geographic
March 10, 2018
The Other Large Thing: A Short Story
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/08/05/the-other-large-thing-a-short-story/
John Scalzi: "The Other Large Thing"
I think many of us will recognize the truths here...
THE OTHER LARGE THING
By John Scalzi
Sanchez was napping when the other two came through the door, carrying something large. The arrival of the other two was not usually of note, unless they had been away for a long time and Sanchez was hungry. But when either of the other two came back to the house, they were usually only bringing themselves, or carrying food. This large thing neither looked nor smelled like food. Sanchez decided, despite how comfortable he was, that his role as master of the house required a better look at the thing.
Regretfully he hauled himself up and walked over to the large thing to begin his inspection. As he did so, the larger of the other two collided with him and tripped over its feet, stumbling and dropping the large thing. Sanchez expressed his displeasure at the collision and smacked the larger one, tough but fair, to get it back into line. It stared at Sanchez for a moment before averting its eyes a clear sign of acquiescence! Then it lifted the object it was carrying once more to bring it into the living area of the home. Sanchez, pleased that the natural order of things had been re-established, followed.
From his seat on the couch, Sanchez watched, and occasionally napped, while the other two fiddled with the thing. First the two lifted the large thing to reveal another large thing. Sanchez briefly wondered how there now two large things, so he hauled himself up again. He wandered over to the first large thing and examined it, peering into it and noticing that the inside was cool and dark. Well, cool and dark were two of his favorite things. He settled into his new vantage point while the other two continued doing their frankly incomprehensible thing.
--- Snip ---
By John Scalzi
Sanchez was napping when the other two came through the door, carrying something large. The arrival of the other two was not usually of note, unless they had been away for a long time and Sanchez was hungry. But when either of the other two came back to the house, they were usually only bringing themselves, or carrying food. This large thing neither looked nor smelled like food. Sanchez decided, despite how comfortable he was, that his role as master of the house required a better look at the thing.
Regretfully he hauled himself up and walked over to the large thing to begin his inspection. As he did so, the larger of the other two collided with him and tripped over its feet, stumbling and dropping the large thing. Sanchez expressed his displeasure at the collision and smacked the larger one, tough but fair, to get it back into line. It stared at Sanchez for a moment before averting its eyes a clear sign of acquiescence! Then it lifted the object it was carrying once more to bring it into the living area of the home. Sanchez, pleased that the natural order of things had been re-established, followed.
From his seat on the couch, Sanchez watched, and occasionally napped, while the other two fiddled with the thing. First the two lifted the large thing to reveal another large thing. Sanchez briefly wondered how there now two large things, so he hauled himself up again. He wandered over to the first large thing and examined it, peering into it and noticing that the inside was cool and dark. Well, cool and dark were two of his favorite things. He settled into his new vantage point while the other two continued doing their frankly incomprehensible thing.
--- Snip ---
The Other Large Thing: A Short Story
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/08/05/the-other-large-thing-a-short-story/
January 19, 2018
Whenever I see reference to a herd, group, pack of cats, I have to go watch this
commercial again:
October 6, 2017
I've always liked this version:
June 25, 2017
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/05/09/how-to-read-and-understand-a-scientific-paper-a-guide-for-non-scientists/
Some thoughtful and useful advice here (with embedded links). Although perhaps this post should be packaged with a post on "Living a balanced life: a guide for scientists." (The reading process described is a bit time-consuming... )
How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/05/09/how-to-read-and-understand-a-scientific-paper-a-guide-for-non-scientists/--- Snip ---
Reading a scientific paper is a completely different process than reading an article about science in a blog or newspaper. Not only do you read the sections in a different order than theyre presented, but you also have to take notes, read it multiple times, and probably go look up other papers for some of the details. Reading a single paper may take you a very long time at first. Be patient with yourself. The process will go much faster as you gain experience.
--- Snip ---
Before you begin reading, take note of the authors and their institutional affiliations. Some institutions (e.g. University of Texas) are well-respected; others (e.g. the Discovery Institute) may appear to be legitimate research institutions but are actually agenda-driven. Tip: google Discovery Institute to see why you dont want to use it as a scientific authority on evolutionary theory.
Also take note of the journal in which its published. Reputable (biomedical) journals will be indexed by Pubmed. {EDIT: Several people have reminded me that non-biomedical journals wont be on Pubmed, and theyre absolutely correct! (thanks for catching that, I apologize for being sloppy here). Check out Web of Science for a more complete index of science journals. And please feel free to share other resources in the comments!} Beware of questionable journals.
As you read, write down every single word that you dont understand. Youre going to have to look them all up (yes, every one. I know its a total pain. But you wont understand the paper if you dont understand the vocabulary. Scientific words have extremely precise meanings).
--- Snip ---
Reading a scientific paper is a completely different process than reading an article about science in a blog or newspaper. Not only do you read the sections in a different order than theyre presented, but you also have to take notes, read it multiple times, and probably go look up other papers for some of the details. Reading a single paper may take you a very long time at first. Be patient with yourself. The process will go much faster as you gain experience.
--- Snip ---
Before you begin reading, take note of the authors and their institutional affiliations. Some institutions (e.g. University of Texas) are well-respected; others (e.g. the Discovery Institute) may appear to be legitimate research institutions but are actually agenda-driven. Tip: google Discovery Institute to see why you dont want to use it as a scientific authority on evolutionary theory.
Also take note of the journal in which its published. Reputable (biomedical) journals will be indexed by Pubmed. {EDIT: Several people have reminded me that non-biomedical journals wont be on Pubmed, and theyre absolutely correct! (thanks for catching that, I apologize for being sloppy here). Check out Web of Science for a more complete index of science journals. And please feel free to share other resources in the comments!} Beware of questionable journals.
As you read, write down every single word that you dont understand. Youre going to have to look them all up (yes, every one. I know its a total pain. But you wont understand the paper if you dont understand the vocabulary. Scientific words have extremely precise meanings).
--- Snip ---
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/05/09/how-to-read-and-understand-a-scientific-paper-a-guide-for-non-scientists/
Some thoughtful and useful advice here (with embedded links). Although perhaps this post should be packaged with a post on "Living a balanced life: a guide for scientists." (The reading process described is a bit time-consuming... )
June 19, 2017
https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/06/19/what-a-wet-winter-means-for-future-of-wildfire-season
--------------------
I knew that a wet winter provided fuel, but I didn't know about the difference between grass/scrub and mountain forests - that all this moisture will slow things down in the Sierra, but the grass lands and other semi-arid regions will burn more intensely. Also an interesting point that a slower fire season in the high-elevations will allow more controlled burns to deal with beetle-killed trees...
What a Wet Winter Means for Wildfire Season
Above-average precipitation in California and other parts of the West doesnt necessarily mean there will be fewer wildfires this season the Golden State has already seen more than twice as many acres burned as it did last year.
Every spring firefighters throughout the West approach the summer season with a proverbial prediction: If the winter was dry, all those parched trees will burn like torches; if it was a wet winter, all those new grasses will fuel quick fire starts and hot, runaway flames.
After a winter that left record piles of snow in the mountains and drenched most of Californias valleys, its no surprise that it is grass fires that are fueling a fast start to the states 2017 fire season. More than 16,000 acres had burned by June 3 in 1,229 blazes, most of them in central and southern California.
--- Snip ---
We can look to the hills for relief, federal officials said. The rains that are fueling the green-up in the valleys fell as snow at the higher elevations. The result is a slow start to the fire season in the Sierra Nevada, mostly managed by the United States Forest Service: just 2,576 acres of federal lands had burned by June 3. By June 7 last year, nearly 13,000 acres had burned. The moisture should lead to a delayed and shorter season overall in the Sierra, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, ID.
--- Snip ---
Every spring firefighters throughout the West approach the summer season with a proverbial prediction: If the winter was dry, all those parched trees will burn like torches; if it was a wet winter, all those new grasses will fuel quick fire starts and hot, runaway flames.
After a winter that left record piles of snow in the mountains and drenched most of Californias valleys, its no surprise that it is grass fires that are fueling a fast start to the states 2017 fire season. More than 16,000 acres had burned by June 3 in 1,229 blazes, most of them in central and southern California.
--- Snip ---
We can look to the hills for relief, federal officials said. The rains that are fueling the green-up in the valleys fell as snow at the higher elevations. The result is a slow start to the fire season in the Sierra Nevada, mostly managed by the United States Forest Service: just 2,576 acres of federal lands had burned by June 3. By June 7 last year, nearly 13,000 acres had burned. The moisture should lead to a delayed and shorter season overall in the Sierra, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, ID.
--- Snip ---
https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/06/19/what-a-wet-winter-means-for-future-of-wildfire-season
--------------------
I knew that a wet winter provided fuel, but I didn't know about the difference between grass/scrub and mountain forests - that all this moisture will slow things down in the Sierra, but the grass lands and other semi-arid regions will burn more intensely. Also an interesting point that a slower fire season in the high-elevations will allow more controlled burns to deal with beetle-killed trees...
June 18, 2017
https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/environment/climate-change-shrinking-colorado-river/
Caption: The combined contents of the nations two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, since their initial fillings. The large decline since 2000 is shaded brown for 2000-2014, our 15-year study period, and pink for the continuing drought in 2015-2016. The loss was significantly influenced by record-setting temperatures, unlike a similar 15-year drought in the 1950s which was driven by a lack of precipitation. (Bradley Udall, Author provided)
Lots of excellent links and graphics at the article source, and a much longer discussion...
Climate Change Is Shrinking the Colorado River
The nations two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead on the Arizona/Nevada border and Lake Powell on the Arizona/Utah border, were brim full in the year 2000. Four short years later, they had lost enough water to supply California its legally apportioned share of Colorado River water for more than five years. Now, 17 years later, they still have not recovered.
This ongoing, unprecedented event threatens water supplies to Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and some of the most productive agricultural lands anywhere in the world. It is critical to understand what is causing it so water managers can make realistic water use and conservation plans.
While overuse has played a part, a significant portion of the reservoir decline is due to an ongoing drought, which started in 2000 and has led to substantial reductions in river flows. Most droughts are caused by a lack of precipitation. However, our published research shows that about one-third of the flow decline was likely due to higher temperatures in the Colorado Rivers Upper Basin, which result from climate change.
This distinction matters because climate change is causing long-term warming that will continue for centuries. As the current hot drought shows, climate change-induced warming has the potential to make all droughts more serious, turning what would have been modest droughts into severe ones, and severe ones into unprecedented ones.
--- Snip ---
This ongoing, unprecedented event threatens water supplies to Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and some of the most productive agricultural lands anywhere in the world. It is critical to understand what is causing it so water managers can make realistic water use and conservation plans.
While overuse has played a part, a significant portion of the reservoir decline is due to an ongoing drought, which started in 2000 and has led to substantial reductions in river flows. Most droughts are caused by a lack of precipitation. However, our published research shows that about one-third of the flow decline was likely due to higher temperatures in the Colorado Rivers Upper Basin, which result from climate change.
This distinction matters because climate change is causing long-term warming that will continue for centuries. As the current hot drought shows, climate change-induced warming has the potential to make all droughts more serious, turning what would have been modest droughts into severe ones, and severe ones into unprecedented ones.
--- Snip ---
https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/environment/climate-change-shrinking-colorado-river/
Caption: The combined contents of the nations two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, since their initial fillings. The large decline since 2000 is shaded brown for 2000-2014, our 15-year study period, and pink for the continuing drought in 2015-2016. The loss was significantly influenced by record-setting temperatures, unlike a similar 15-year drought in the 1950s which was driven by a lack of precipitation. (Bradley Udall, Author provided)
Lots of excellent links and graphics at the article source, and a much longer discussion...
December 22, 2016
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/mcgill-database-will-help-climate-change-experts-track-worlds-lakes
McGill database will help climate-change experts track world's lakes
When it comes to lake water, some McGill University geographers are in deep.
They spent the past three years calculating the most precise estimates yet for the amount of water contained in the worlds 1.42 million lakes.
And ecologists, climate-change experts and other scientists are about to reap the benefits of their research, published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.
Most lakes have been mapped but one thing that was completely missing was the volume of lake water, said senior author Bernhard Lehner, an associate professor in McGills geography department.
--- Snip ---
They spent the past three years calculating the most precise estimates yet for the amount of water contained in the worlds 1.42 million lakes.
And ecologists, climate-change experts and other scientists are about to reap the benefits of their research, published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.
Most lakes have been mapped but one thing that was completely missing was the volume of lake water, said senior author Bernhard Lehner, an associate professor in McGills geography department.
--- Snip ---
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/mcgill-database-will-help-climate-change-experts-track-worlds-lakes
December 22, 2016
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-agriculture-climatechange-idUSKBN14802K
A couple of relevant past DU threads:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1127100316
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112777572
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112769104
Africa at highest risk of major economic blow from future climate threats: global index
ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Countries most dependent on agriculture are also at high risk of experiencing changes in climate over the next 30 years and face the biggest costs in dealing with the effects of extreme weather, according to a global climate index published on Monday.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 17 of the 20 countries most economically reliant on agriculture in the world.
Of the 17, all but two are at "high" or "extreme" risk of experiencing changes in temperature and rainfall, and extremes such as drought and floods, according to the Climate Change Exposure Index.
These are typically countries whose governments lack the financial or technical resources to plan 20 or 30 years in advance, said Richard Hewston, principal environmental analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a UK-based risk management company which compiled the index.
--- Snip ---
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 17 of the 20 countries most economically reliant on agriculture in the world.
Of the 17, all but two are at "high" or "extreme" risk of experiencing changes in temperature and rainfall, and extremes such as drought and floods, according to the Climate Change Exposure Index.
These are typically countries whose governments lack the financial or technical resources to plan 20 or 30 years in advance, said Richard Hewston, principal environmental analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a UK-based risk management company which compiled the index.
--- Snip ---
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-agriculture-climatechange-idUSKBN14802K
A couple of relevant past DU threads:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1127100316
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112777572
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112769104
December 20, 2016
http://projects.sfchronicle.com/2016/sea-level-rise/
A five-part series on sea level rise in the Bay Area, from the Chronicle. Doesn't seem to be pay-walled, and I didn't notice it posted before.
Rising Reality: Bay Area bracing for rising sea levels
Chronicle Urban Design Critic John King explores the challenges posed by sea level rise in the Bay Area, from the perils facing San Francisco's crumbling Embarcadero to the struggles to revive marshes and the creation of a small city on Treasure Island.
http://projects.sfchronicle.com/2016/sea-level-rise/
A five-part series on sea level rise in the Bay Area, from the Chronicle. Doesn't seem to be pay-walled, and I didn't notice it posted before.
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