Russia today successfully launched a new three man crew toward ISS.
Russia today successfully launched a new three man crew toward ISS.
Russia today successfully launched a new three man crew toward ISS.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
Russia today successfully launched a new three man crew toward ISS.
The bar at the center of the Milky Way.
The bar at the center of the Milky Way.
The bar at the center of the Milky Way.
Instagram has said it will withdraw language from its terms and conditions that would have given it ownership rights to users’ photography.
That didn’t take long: Instagram has said it will withdraw language from its terms and conditions that would have given it ownership rights to users’ photography.
How nice of them. But note that the article above also points out that the actual language has not yet changed.
That didn’t take long: Instagram has said it will withdraw language from its terms and conditions that would have given it ownership rights to users’ photography.
How nice of them. But note that the article above also points out that the actual language has not yet changed.
Another Earth just twelve light years away?
Another Earth just twelve light years away?
Another Earth just twelve light years away?
The science team for Cassini has released a spectacular mosiac of Saturn and its rings, backlit by the Sun.
The science team for Cassini has released a spectacular mosiac of Saturn and its rings, backlit by the Sun.
The science team for Cassini has released a spectacular mosiac of Saturn and its rings, backlit by the Sun.
“I want Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick.”
Leftwing love: “I want Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick.”
More death threats here.
The first quote is from a college professor no less. And the death threats? If accomplished, how would they be any different from the actions of the mass murderer in Connecticut this past weekend?
Leftwing love: “I want Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick.”
More death threats here.
The first quote is from a college professor no less. And the death threats? If accomplished, how would they be any different from the actions of the mass murderer in Connecticut this past weekend?
Facebook’s Instagram has updated its terms and conditions so that it now claims “perpetual” ownership to all photographs posted by users.
Facebook’s Instagram has updated its terms and conditions in order to claim “perpetual” ownership to all photographs posted by users.
“You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such,” the new terms say. That may let advertisers use teenagers’ photos for marketing, raising privacy and security concerns, Jeffrey Chester, executive director for the Center for Digital Democracy, told Bloomberg.
And people wonder why I am not on Facebook.
Facebook’s Instagram has updated its terms and conditions in order to claim “perpetual” ownership to all photographs posted by users.
“You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such,” the new terms say. That may let advertisers use teenagers’ photos for marketing, raising privacy and security concerns, Jeffrey Chester, executive director for the Center for Digital Democracy, told Bloomberg.
And people wonder why I am not on Facebook.
NASA has named the impact site where the two GRAIL spacecraft hit the Moon today after American astronaut Sally Ride.
NASA has named the impact site where the two GRAIL spacecraft hit the Moon today after American astronaut Sally Ride.
Though this is a nice gesture, the entire public relations campaign surrounding the GRAIL impact today has been one of the more overhyped exercises at NASA. The impact is going to provide very little new science, and is necessary because no lunar orbit is stable and the spacecraft will eventually crash into the Moon anyway. Better to do it under controlled circumstances. To make such a big deal about it however is hardly interesting, especially since this has been done repeatedly by practically every lunar orbiter.
NASA has named the impact site where the two GRAIL spacecraft hit the Moon today after American astronaut Sally Ride.
Though this is a nice gesture, the entire public relations campaign surrounding the GRAIL impact today has been one of the more overhyped exercises at NASA. The impact is going to provide very little new science, and is necessary because no lunar orbit is stable and the spacecraft will eventually crash into the Moon anyway. Better to do it under controlled circumstances. To make such a big deal about it however is hardly interesting, especially since this has been done repeatedly by practically every lunar orbiter.
Orbital Sciences has begun testing the loading and unloading of fuel for the first stage of its Antares rocket at Wallops Island, Maryland.
Orbital Sciences has begun testing the loading and unloading of fuel for the first stage of its Antares rocket at Wallops Island, Maryland.
This is good, but the questions about the Antares’ system for ejecting its shroud after launch still remain, threatening the rest of the schedule.
Orbital Sciences has begun testing the loading and unloading of fuel for the first stage of its Antares rocket at Wallops Island, Maryland.
This is good, but the questions about the Antares’ system for ejecting its shroud after launch still remain, threatening the rest of the schedule.
A preliminary copy of the next IPCC report has been leaked.
A preliminary copy of the next IPCC report has been leaked.
In the coming days there will be much discussion of this document — such as how it appears the IPCC has finally acknowledged the importance of the Sun’s variability to climate change — but for now, I post on the right what is probably its most important admission. This graph from the leaked report shows the rise in global temperatures as predicted by all the different climate models used by the IPCC, compared to actual observed temperatures. As you can see, since the late 1990s there has been no significant increase in global temperature. Moreover, the observed data now sits outside the predicted margin of error for all the models, making every single one of these models completely wrong.
But don’t worry, these facts aren’t important. In fact, any facts that contradict the religion of global warming must be ignored. It is far more important to shut down all industry and live like cavemen, just because we have faith in our belief in global warming.
A preliminary copy of the next IPCC report has been leaked.
In the coming days there will be much discussion of this document — such as how it appears the IPCC has finally acknowledged the importance of the Sun’s variability to climate change — but for now, I post on the right what is probably its most important admission. This graph from the leaked report shows the rise in global temperatures as predicted by all the different climate models used by the IPCC, compared to actual observed temperatures. As you can see, since the late 1990s there has been no significant increase in global temperature. Moreover, the observed data now sits outside the predicted margin of error for all the models, making every single one of these models completely wrong.
But don’t worry, these facts aren’t important. In fact, any facts that contradict the religion of global warming must be ignored. It is far more important to shut down all industry and live like cavemen, just because we have faith in our belief in global warming.
An attempt to drill down into another buried lake in Antarctica, this time by Great Britain, has encountered serious technical problems because of a failed boiler.
An attempt to drill down into another buried lake in Antarctica, this time by Great Britain, has encountered serious technical problems because of a failed boiler.
An attempt to drill down into another buried lake in Antarctica, this time by Great Britain, has encountered serious technical problems because of a failed boiler.
NASA used Orbital Sciences’ Taurus 2 rocket for the failed launch of its Glory climate satellite in 2011, even though the agency knew the company had not fixed the problem that caused the loss of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory in 2009.
NASA used Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL rocket for the failed launch of its Glory climate satellite in 2011, even though the agency knew the company had not fixed the problem that caused the loss of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory in 2009.
The investigators believed there was as much as a 50% chance the faulty component — a fairing separation system for ejecting the protective shroud that covered the satellite during launch — would fail again. Sadly, it did, destroying Glory. More significant for the future, however is this:
Other Orbital vehicles, including the air-launched Pegasus and a new Antares rocket, use a version of the same fairing separation system that is most likely responsible for the combined $700 million loss of two key climate-study satellites. Orbital’s original name for Antares was Taurus II.
So far, NASA has not accepted the Antares shroud-separation configuration for operational flights. Dulles, Va.-based Orbital says it has made a number of changes to its frangible joint fairing separation system in the wake of the Glory launch failure, including modifications to the frangible rail used on Antares. The company is developing that rocket under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).
If NASA isn’t satisfied with Orbital’s design changes to this system, it could significantly delay the launch of Cygnus and Antares to ISS.
Update: I had mistakenly referred to the Taurus 2 in the first sentence when the rocket used to launch Glory and OCO was the Taurus XL. This is now corrected.
NASA used Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL rocket for the failed launch of its Glory climate satellite in 2011, even though the agency knew the company had not fixed the problem that caused the loss of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory in 2009.
The investigators believed there was as much as a 50% chance the faulty component — a fairing separation system for ejecting the protective shroud that covered the satellite during launch — would fail again. Sadly, it did, destroying Glory. More significant for the future, however is this:
Other Orbital vehicles, including the air-launched Pegasus and a new Antares rocket, use a version of the same fairing separation system that is most likely responsible for the combined $700 million loss of two key climate-study satellites. Orbital’s original name for Antares was Taurus II.
So far, NASA has not accepted the Antares shroud-separation configuration for operational flights. Dulles, Va.-based Orbital says it has made a number of changes to its frangible joint fairing separation system in the wake of the Glory launch failure, including modifications to the frangible rail used on Antares. The company is developing that rocket under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).
If NASA isn’t satisfied with Orbital’s design changes to this system, it could significantly delay the launch of Cygnus and Antares to ISS.
Update: I had mistakenly referred to the Taurus 2 in the first sentence when the rocket used to launch Glory and OCO was the Taurus XL. This is now corrected.
China’s Chang’e 2 lunar probe, now out of lunar orbit, did a fly-by of the 3 mile wide asteroid Toutatis as it zipped past the Earth last week, resulting in some spectacular images.
China’s Chang’e 2 lunar probe, now out of lunar orbit, did a fly-by of the 3 mile wide asteroid Toutatis as it zipped past the Earth last week, resulting in some spectacular images.
Launched on October 1, 2010, Chang’e 2 orbited the Moon for 8 months before being redirected last year to the L2 Lagrange point, roughly a million miles on the side of Earth opposite the Sun. But when it left L2 last April, Western observers suspected the spacecraft was heading deeper interplanetary space. It didn’t take long to realize that Chang’e 2 was bound for Toutatis.
This is an example of a very smart re-use of a space probe.
By the way, the first fly-by of another planet took place fifty years ago this week.
China’s Chang’e 2 lunar probe, now out of lunar orbit, did a fly-by of the 3 mile wide asteroid Toutatis as it zipped past the Earth last week, resulting in some spectacular images.
Launched on October 1, 2010, Chang’e 2 orbited the Moon for 8 months before being redirected last year to the L2 Lagrange point, roughly a million miles on the side of Earth opposite the Sun. But when it left L2 last April, Western observers suspected the spacecraft was heading deeper interplanetary space. It didn’t take long to realize that Chang’e 2 was bound for Toutatis.
This is an example of a very smart re-use of a space probe.
By the way, the first fly-by of another planet took place fifty years ago this week.
Climate experts are now calling for an end to the regularly scheduled mega-climate summits.
Good news: Climate experts are now calling for an end to the regularly scheduled mega-climate summits.
That these summits haven’t accomplished anything but allow climate bureaucrats to burn tons of airplane fossil fuel to gather in some of the world’s nicest warm weather cities during the winter — thereby making them all look like hypocrites — is not the reason these experts want to cancel the summits. They want to cancel the summits because the summits aren’t getting them the results they want: strict regulation on the lives of everyone else.
Nowhere does the article address the simple fact that in the past three years, since the release of the climategate emails, the creditability of the entire climate change field has gone to zero. The public doesn’t buy their sales pitch anymore, and thus neither do politicians, which is why no one is willing to make a deal at these summits. No one believes anything these climate experts are saying, especially since they have refused to clean up the corruption within their field.
Good news: Climate experts are now calling for an end to the regularly scheduled mega-climate summits.
That these summits haven’t accomplished anything but allow climate bureaucrats to burn tons of airplane fossil fuel to gather in some of the world’s nicest warm weather cities during the winter — thereby making them all look like hypocrites — is not the reason these experts want to cancel the summits. They want to cancel the summits because the summits aren’t getting them the results they want: strict regulation on the lives of everyone else.
Nowhere does the article address the simple fact that in the past three years, since the release of the climategate emails, the creditability of the entire climate change field has gone to zero. The public doesn’t buy their sales pitch anymore, and thus neither do politicians, which is why no one is willing to make a deal at these summits. No one believes anything these climate experts are saying, especially since they have refused to clean up the corruption within their field.
“Work like a Third World dictator and just put all these guys in jail.”
Disagree with Obama? Then at least one person on the left thinks that Obama should “work like a Third World dictator and just put all these guys in jail.”
And this idea gets a laugh from host Al Sharpton, a bigot himself who promoted the murder of Jewish merchants in Harlem by his race-hustling.
Disagree with Obama? Then at least one person on the left thinks that Obama should “work like a Third World dictator and just put all these guys in jail.”
And this idea gets a laugh from host Al Sharpton, a bigot himself who promoted the murder of Jewish merchants in Harlem by his race-hustling.
The satellite that North Korea launched early Wednesday appears to be tumbling out of control, according to unnamed U.S. officials.
The satellite that North Korea launched early Wednesday appears to be tumbling out of control, according to unnamed U.S. officials.
The Defense Department does have the capability to detect a tumbling satellite, especially if its solar panels are visible, though I must emphasize that the information here is so vague it hardly means anything. Regardless, the real issue here is not that North Korea put a working satellite into orbit, but that it now has the rocket capability to put anything into orbit. For us this is not a good thing: A rogue nation that is trying to build nuclear weapons that is also officially still at war with our ally South Korea now has this capability.
The satellite that North Korea launched early Wednesday appears to be tumbling out of control, according to unnamed U.S. officials.
The Defense Department does have the capability to detect a tumbling satellite, especially if its solar panels are visible, though I must emphasize that the information here is so vague it hardly means anything. Regardless, the real issue here is not that North Korea put a working satellite into orbit, but that it now has the rocket capability to put anything into orbit. For us this is not a good thing: A rogue nation that is trying to build nuclear weapons that is also officially still at war with our ally South Korea now has this capability.
Union thugs yesterday also destroyed the hot dog cart of an innocent vendor, calling him “N*gger” and “Uncle Tom” while they did it.
Leftwing civility: Union thugs yesterday also destroyed the hot dog cart of an innocent vendor, calling him “N*gger” and “Uncle Tom” while they did it.
And they call Tea Party people racists? What vicious bigots.
Leftwing civility: Union thugs yesterday also destroyed the hot dog cart of an innocent vendor, calling him “N*gger” and “Uncle Tom” while they did it.
And they call Tea Party people racists? What vicious bigots.
SpaceX has pinpointed the cause of the Falcon 9 engine shutdown during its October 7 Dragon launch.
SpaceX has pinpointed the cause of the Falcon 9 engine shutdown during its October 7 Dragon launch.
At the moment, however, they are not telling anyone what that cause is. They are telling us that the next Dragon launch is going to happen in late February or early March, which is slightly earlier than previous reports.
SpaceX has pinpointed the cause of the Falcon 9 engine shutdown during its October 7 Dragon launch.
At the moment, however, they are not telling anyone what that cause is. They are telling us that the next Dragon launch is going to happen in late February or early March, which is slightly earlier than previous reports.
The first galaxies?
A river on Titan.
The nine most important archeological and paleontological discoveries in 2012.
The nine most important archeological and paleontological discoveries in 2012.
I especially like #8, since it involves an actual person.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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 today, despite indications earlier in the week that they were delaying the launch due to technical problems.
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.
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.
The teamster boss today predicted a “civil war” in Michigan if the union doesn’t get what it wants.
More leftwing civility: The teamster boss today predicted a “civil war” in Michigan if the union doesn’t get what it wants.
More leftwing civility: The teamster boss today predicted a “civil war” in Michigan if the union doesn’t get what it wants.
The first X-37B to fly in space was successfully placed in orbit today for the second time.
The first X-37B to fly in space was successfully placed in orbit today for the second time.
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)!
Watch a three mile wide asteroid fly past the Earth – live tonight from 5 to 11 pm (Eastern)!
Watch a three mile wide asteroid fly past the Earth – live tonight from 5 to 11 pm (Eastern)!
Climate models still fail to predict mid- and long-term trends in the climate.The uncertainty of science: Climate models still fail to predict mid- and long-term trends in the climate.
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.
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.
A Democratic state representative threatened violence on the Michigan House floor today over the passage of a right-to-work law in their state.
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.
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.
Democratic senators (who voted for it) have joined Republicans to call for the delay or cancellation of an Obamacare tax on medical equipment.
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.
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.