Category: Behind The Black
Cities of the future
House Panel to Take Second Bite Out of Science Budgets
The revolt of the freshman Republicans is working: The House science panel is going to revisit its budget cut proposals for science from yesterday and find ways to cut more.
The revolt of the freshman Republicans is working: The House science panel is going to revisit its budget cut proposals for science from yesterday and find ways to cut more.
Freshman GOP to leadership: Business as usual is over
This is truly hopeful news: Freshman GOP to leadership: Business as usual is over.
This is truly hopeful news: Freshman GOP to leadership: Business as usual is over.
How to make long distance calls to aliens
More details on Ares/Ariane hybrid rocket
More details on Liberty, the Ares/Ariane hybrid rocket proposed by ATK and Alliant to provide crew/cargo capabilities to ISS. Key quote:
[Liberty] would be able to lift 44,500 lb. of payload to the International Space Station, enough for any of the commercial crew capsules under development as potential space shuttle replacements.
More details on Liberty, the Ares/Ariane hybrid rocket proposed by ATK and Alliant to provide crew/cargo capabilities to ISS. Key quote:
[Liberty] would be able to lift 44,500 lb. of payload to the International Space Station, enough for any of the commercial crew capsules under development as potential space shuttle replacements.
Trees from space
We need to find them! Trees from space, planted here on Earth. You can see the known list here.
We need to find them! Trees from space, planted here on Earth. You can see the known list here.
NASA Checks Shuttle Discovery for Damage From Dropped Tool
Oy. A metal tool came apart last night and its scattered pieces fell on the shuttle Discovery. Fortunately, careful inspection of the orbiter has found no damage.
Oy. A metal tool came apart last night and its scattered pieces fell on the shuttle Discovery. Fortunately, careful inspection of the orbiter has found no damage.
A budgetary haircut ahead for NASA?
Bryn Terfel sings two classic folk songs
Cutting the military budget
Now for some squeals from the right: Why we must never, ever cut the military budget!
Now for some squeals from the right: Why we must never, ever cut the military budget!
Concealed carry grows as critics’ fears of ‘bloodbath’ proven wrong
More proof that guns make society safer: The “bloodbath” feared by gun-ban advocates due to the increase in concealed carry permits never happened.
More proof that guns make society safer: The “bloodbath” feared by gun-ban advocates due to the increase in concealed carry permits never happened.
The administration has now clarified its position on Egypt
More humor: The Obama administration has now clarified its position on Egypt.
Low-income groups challenge California climate law
The law of unintended consequences: Low-income groups are challenging California’s cap-and-trade climate law.
The law of unintended consequences: Low-income groups are challenging California’s cap-and-trade climate law.
An Anomalous SETI Signal
Biden Vows to Jump Canyon by Amtrak
Iowahawk: Biden Vows to Jump Canyon by Amtrak. Key quote:
Biden said the jump was only the first phase in a comprehensive multi-decade federal plan to cement US global leadership in light rail, subways, high speed land trains, airborne trains, undersea trains, and intergalactic trains.
Read the whole thing.
Iowahawk: Biden Vows to Jump Canyon by Amtrak. Key quote:
Biden said the jump was only the first phase in a comprehensive multi-decade federal plan to cement US global leadership in light rail, subways, high speed land trains, airborne trains, undersea trains, and intergalactic trains.
Read the whole thing.
Great Moments In Government “Investment”
Great moments in government “investment”. Key quote:
To turn wood chips into ethanol fuel, George W. Bush’s Department of Energy in February 2007 announced a $76 million grant to Range Fuels for a cutting-edge refinery. A few months later, the refinery opened in the piney woods of Treutlen County, Ga., as the taxpayers of Georgia piled on another $6 million. In 2008, the ethanol plant was the first beneficiary of the Biorefinery Assistance Program, pocketing a loan for $80 million guaranteed by the U.S. taxpayers.
Last month, the refinery closed down, having failed to squeeze even a drop of ethanol out of its pine chips.
That’s $164 million of tax dollars to a company that produced nothing.
Great moments in government “investment”. Key quote:
To turn wood chips into ethanol fuel, George W. Bush’s Department of Energy in February 2007 announced a $76 million grant to Range Fuels for a cutting-edge refinery. A few months later, the refinery opened in the piney woods of Treutlen County, Ga., as the taxpayers of Georgia piled on another $6 million. In 2008, the ethanol plant was the first beneficiary of the Biorefinery Assistance Program, pocketing a loan for $80 million guaranteed by the U.S. taxpayers.
Last month, the refinery closed down, having failed to squeeze even a drop of ethanol out of its pine chips.
That’s $164 million of tax dollars to a company that produced nothing.
Susan Rice warns GOP against U.N. cuts
The diplomats are squealing! The UN ambassador warns Republicans against cutting funds to the U.N.
The diplomats are squealing! The UN ambassador warns Republicans against cutting funds to the U.N.
Giant Ring of Black Holes
House Spending Plan cuts billions from federal research agencies
Stand by for oinks! The House spending plan would cut billions from federal research agencies such as NIH, NSF, NOAA, NASA, and a host of Department of Energy programs. Specifics at the link.
Stand by for oinks! The House spending plan would cut billions from federal research agencies such as NIH, NSF, NOAA, NASA, and a host of Department of Energy programs. Specifics at the link.
Ten Pro-ObamaCare Senators in trouble In 2012
They should have repealed the damn bill! Ten Democratic Senators who voted for Obamacare face serious election challenges in 2012.
They should have repealed the damn bill! Ten Democratic Senators who voted for Obamacare face serious election challenges in 2012.
The Sun’s continuing wimpiness
Get those winter coats out of storage! Yesterday NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center published its monthly update of the Sun’s sunspot cycle. I’ve posted the newest graph below, showing the continuing slow rise in sunspots (blue/black lines) in comparison with the consensis prediction made by the solar science community in May 2009 (red line).
Though the sunspot count made a slight recovery in January, it was not enough to make up for the plunge in December. Essentially, the Sun continues to act like a sleepy kitten that really doesn’t want to wake up. This suggests that even the newest and wimpiest prediction for the next solar maximum, from solar scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center, is still overstating the Sun’s upcoming sunspot activity.
In the past a wimpy Sun has been linked to cold weather, for reasons that scientists as yet don’t quiet understand. And this next solar maximum continues to look like the wimpiest in more than 200 years (see the graph on this page)!
What Is Asteroid Apophis?
A fresh perspective from the new chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce
Mo Brooks (R-Alabama), the new chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce, gives his perspective on science and the budget. Two quotes of interest:
Q: Do you believe that federal research should be exempt from a rollback in federal spending to 2008 levels?
Brooks: I would love for that to happen. But we just don’t have the money. … We have no choice but to look at everything. If we don’t balance our budget over a short period of time, the federal government is going to collapse and there won’t be money for any of these things. So if we’re going to save money for research and advancement in science, we’re going to have to get our house in order now.
Q: Do you think the government should increase funding on research once things turn around?
Brooks: Do you mean if the budgetary situation turns around? I don’t see that happening in the next 4 to 5 years. We’ve got a $1.5 trillion budget deficit, and Admiral Mullen, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has declared it the number one security threat to the country. And if our creditors would cut us off, there would be zero money for national defense or NSF or anything else.
Note how the interviewer, from Science, can’t seem to get his head around the idea of budget cuts.
Q: Is human activity causing global warming?
Brooks: That’s a difficult question to answer because I’ve talked to scientists on both sides of the fence, especially at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Some say yes, and some say no. I’m also old enough to remember when the same left-wing part of our society was creating a global cooling scare in order to generate funds for their pet projects. So 30-some years ago, the big scare was global cooling, and once they drained the government, they shifted to global warming. So I’m approaching the issue with a healthy degree of skepticism. If the evidence is there to prove it, then so be it.
Mo Brooks (R-Alabama), the new chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce, gives his perspective on science and the budget. Two quotes of interest:
Q: Do you believe that federal research should be exempt from a rollback in federal spending to 2008 levels?
Brooks: I would love for that to happen. But we just don’t have the money. … We have no choice but to look at everything. If we don’t balance our budget over a short period of time, the federal government is going to collapse and there won’t be money for any of these things. So if we’re going to save money for research and advancement in science, we’re going to have to get our house in order now.Q: Do you think the government should increase funding on research once things turn around?
Brooks: Do you mean if the budgetary situation turns around? I don’t see that happening in the next 4 to 5 years. We’ve got a $1.5 trillion budget deficit, and Admiral Mullen, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has declared it the number one security threat to the country. And if our creditors would cut us off, there would be zero money for national defense or NSF or anything else.
Note how the interviewer, from Science, can’t seem to get his head around the idea of budget cuts.
Q: Is human activity causing global warming?
Brooks: That’s a difficult question to answer because I’ve talked to scientists on both sides of the fence, especially at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Some say yes, and some say no. I’m also old enough to remember when the same left-wing part of our society was creating a global cooling scare in order to generate funds for their pet projects. So 30-some years ago, the big scare was global cooling, and once they drained the government, they shifted to global warming. So I’m approaching the issue with a healthy degree of skepticism. If the evidence is there to prove it, then so be it.
Obama’s “tough budget cuts” in pictures
Obama’s “tough budget cuts” in pictures.
Obama’s “tough budget cuts” in pictures.
The Singing, Ringing Tree
House to vote next week to block health funds
Repeal the damn bill! The House will vote next week to block all funds to Obamacare.
Repeal the damn bill! The House will vote next week to block all funds to Obamacare.
Republicans in House want to shift NASA’S climate funds back to Manned Spaceflight
The space war over NASA continues: A group of House Republicans want to cut NASA’s climate research budget — increased significantly by Obama — and put it back into manned spaceflight.
The space war over NASA continues: A group of House Republicans want to cut NASA’s climate research budget — increased significantly by Obama — and put it back into manned spaceflight.
Obama to call for $53 billion in spending for high-speed rail
Obama calls for $53 billion in spending to build more high-speed railroads. Key quote:
An initial $8 billion in spending will be part of the budget plan Obama is set to release Monday. If Congress approves the plan, the money would go toward developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 miles per hour, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. The White House wouldn’t say where the money for the rest of the program would come from, though it’s likely Obama would seek funding in future budgets or transportation bills.
I hope that the reason the White House couldn’t say where the money would come from is because it simply does not exist, and there is little chance that Congress will appropriate it.
Obama calls for $53 billion in spending to build more high-speed railroads. Key quote:
An initial $8 billion in spending will be part of the budget plan Obama is set to release Monday. If Congress approves the plan, the money would go toward developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 miles per hour, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. The White House wouldn’t say where the money for the rest of the program would come from, though it’s likely Obama would seek funding in future budgets or transportation bills.
I hope that the reason the White House couldn’t say where the money would come from is because it simply does not exist, and there is little chance that Congress will appropriate it.
The underground Moon
More images of lunar cave pits have been posted by the scientists of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). They have also published their first paper [pdf] about these cave pits for the 2011 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference taking place in March. The paper summarizes, with images, what is know about the three pits on the Moon that have each been imaged a number of times at different angles and lighting situations.
