The nine most important archeological and paleontological discoveries in 2012.
I especially like #8, since it involves an actual person.
A new New York skyscraper — the largest residential building in the world — has won the top award for 2011 for its unusual undulating facade.
It is worth a look, as the building is quite strange-looking and actually stands out in the New York skyline, something you would think would be difficult for a new skyscraper to do.
Photos of the union thug who punched Steven Crowder today in Michigan: Do you know who he is? More here.
Meanwhile, Crowder has challenged the man to a fight in the ring, with the proceeds going to charity.
North Korea launched its rocket early Wednesday, despite indications earlier in the week that they were delaying the launch due to technical problems.
It appears those “technical problems” were a feint to distract everyone just prior to launch. Based on radar data it also appears the rocket did put an object into orbit.
More leftwing civility: The teamster boss today predicted a “civil war” in Michigan if the union doesn’t get what it wants.
An evening pause: More story-telling with sand, by Kseniya Simonova. This time she tells a northern fantasy, based on the Norwegian epics.
The first X-37B to fly in space was successfully placed in orbit today for the second time.
Watch a three mile wide asteroid fly past the Earth – live tonight from 5 to 11 pm (Eastern)!
Today, with little fanfare, the solar scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center adjusted slightly downward their prediction for the upcoming solar maximum, from a sunspot number of 73 down to 72. This was the fourth month in a row that they have revised their prediction.
The Marshall scientists do not archive their predictions, which I suspect is a convenient way of preventing people from noticing how much they change them. I however like to archive these revisions. Below is a full list of their changes during the past two years:
» Read more
The uncertainty of science: Climate models still fail to predict mid- and long-term trends in the climate.
To test the forecast quality of the 23 most important climate models, the AWI scientists investigated how well these models were able to reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns over the past 50 years. A total of 9 known circulation patterns were investigated retrospectively, four of which in special detail. The result was that the spatial distribution of atmospheric teleconnection patterns is already described very well by some models. However, none of the models were able to reliably reproduce how strong or weak the Icelandic Low, Azores High and other meteorological centers of action were at a particular time over the last 50 years, i.e. the temporal distribution patterns. [emphasis mine]
The “centers of action” are large global weather patterns like el Nino that can influence the global climate worldwide. Most climate scientists believe that global warming will manifest itself first in these centers of action. Yet, no climate model was able to predict what we know actually happened during the past fifty years with these large centers.
But we must ignore this fact and base all our climate law on what these models predict. What could go wrong?
In related news, the United Kingdom had its coldest autumn since 1993 this year. And if you look at the temperature graph at the link, covering autumn temperatures since 1910, you will notice hardly any change, up or down.
Leftwing civility: A Democratic state representative threatened violence on the Michigan House floor today over the passage of a right-to-work law in their state.
Update with video: a mob of union thugs rip down the tent of a conservative group, while people were inside. More details about the violence here. More video here, showing these creeps as they attack Steven Crowder and push the tent down with a woman inside.
Finding out what’s in it: Democratic senators (who voted for it) have joined Republicans to call for the delay or cancellation of an Obamacare tax on medical equipment.
Maybe if these idiots had read the damn bill before they passed it we wouldn’t have this problem. But then again, this is the quality of senators the American people want in charge of our country. I read this and weep.
The awesomeness of camping and hiking, in pictures.
North Korea, having postponed the launch for technical reasons, has apparently begun removing the rocket from the launchpad.
Oy. A design problem in Curiosity’s drill makes it a threat to short out the electronics of the entire rover at some point in the future.
I will be doing what almost always turns out to be a two hour interview today with Dr. Space, David Livingston, on The Space Show. Feel free to tune in.
Glide tests of Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser shuttle are now scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2013.
The vehicle they will be flying is only a prototype built expressly for these unmanned tests. A separate flight model is under construction and will be used for later manned suborbital tests, followed by a third vehicle built for orbital flights.
More bad news for Russia: Kazakhstan is considering cancelling the lease that allows Russia to use the launch facilities in Baikonur.
The uncertainty of science: A look at some modern animals, drawn with the same limited fossil record we have for the dinosaurs.
In other words, almost everything we assume about the dinosaurs is probably wrong.
R.I.P. Patrick Moore (1932-2012).
North Korea has halted preparations for its planned rocket launch.
Bad news for Russia: During a launch yesterday the upper stage of a Proton rocket failed to put the satellite into its proper orbit.
With this, the third failure in the past 16 months for the Briz-M upper stage, I expect that the Proton’s customers will continue to flee, as has Echostar.
A fuel leak has now been pinpointed as the cause of the Delta 4 rocket launch problem in October.
An evening pause: On this anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I give thanks to the past generation that gave me freedom.
I wish you’d lived to see
All you gave to me
Your shining dream of hope and love
Life and libertyWe are all one great band of brothers
And one day you’ll see – we can live together
When all the world is free.
It now appears that the next launch of the X-37B is set for Tuesday, December 11.
This would mean that the engine problems that occurred on a Delta 4 rocket launch in October have been resolved.
A tour of the impact craters that Curiosity created when it landed on Mars.
