Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
One hundred thousand dead fish cover 20-miles of the Arkansas River in Arkansas and no one knows why.
According to Wikileaks cables, the United States and Germany plan to develop a secret constellation of spy satellites. Though Germany denies the story, their denial is somewhat puzzling:
German Aerospace Center spokesman Andreas Schuetz said that such a project for a high-resolution optical satellite has been in discussion for the past two years under the name HIROS. “HIROS is neither a spy satellite, nor a secret project,” Schuetz said. He insisted that the project was to be used only for government purposes, “for example crisis management during natural catastrophes and for scientific uses.”
He refused to give any further details, saying the plan was still in the project stage and could not be discussed.
The repairs to the cracks on Discovery’s external tank continue, with the hope for a February 3 launch.
Can we find trees on other planets?
Ninety years ago today: The first religious broadcast. It is interesting to note that at the time, not only did no one protest or was offended by such a broadcast, the technicians who set up the broadcast were not of the same religious denominations as the broadcasting church.
Want to know what airports are using the new backscatter body scanners, and thus avoid them? TSA Status has the answer.
Good news, if we can believe them: The Republican leadership in Congress vows to cut spending and roll back ObamaCare.
The new colonial movement: China to explore Mars with Russia this year.
The 97% “Consensus” is only 75 Self-Selected Climatologists. Key quote:
Close examination of the source of the claimed 97% consensus reveals that it comes from a non-peer reviewed article describing an online poll in which a total of only 79 climate scientists chose to participate. Of the 79 self-selected climate scientists, 75 agreed with the notion of AGW [anthropogenic global warming]. Thus, we find climate scientists once again using dubious statistical techniques to deceive the public that there is a 97% scientific consensus on man-made global warming; fortunately they clearly aren’t buying it.
This winter is the Stalingrad in the ‘Climate War’.
A Charlottesville man was arrested for protesting airport security searches. Key quote, written on his chest and abdomen:
“Amendment 4: The right of the people to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated.”
I wonder if liberal Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein needs someone to explain what this quote means.
China today unveiled the world’s longest sea bridge, stretching 26.4 miles and three miles longer than the previous record holder.
The right way to respond to a stupid lawyer letter.
Laws matter: The federal appeals court in Washington, DC, today blocked EPA’s takeover of Texas carbon-emmission regulation.
Snapped connectors led to the failure last week of India’s GSLV rocket.
Repeal the damn bill! Maine has asked the Obama administration to be exempted from certain provisions of ObamaCare.
Tolerance from the religion of “peace”: Bomb attacks on fourteen Christians homes in Baghdad kill two and wound twenty. Note that though no one has yet come forward to claim responsibility for the attacks, an Islamic group had threatened to do exactly this one week ago.
Though I have been saying that the Sun’s lack of sunspots the last two years suggests the possibility of that we might be facing an extended period without solar activity, I am not a solar scientist. Today, in a paper published today on the Los Alamos astro-ph website, a solar scientist says just that. Key quote:
One method that has yielded predictions consistently in the right range during the past few solar cycles is that of K. Schatten et al., whose approach is mainly based on the polar field precursor. The incipient cycle 24 [on-going right now] will probably mark the end of the Modern Maximum, with the Sun switching to a state of less strong activity.
Brazil has become the first non-European partner in the European Southern Observatory.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin has sued Topps for using his likeness in their trading cards.
Updated and bumped: The inspections reveal four additional cracks on Discovery’s external tank.
NASA engineers have finished a series of x-ray scans of Discovery’s external tank.
“Zombie” satellite comes back to life.
Russian space officials are fired over rocket failure.
The pilot who was threatened by the TSA because of his YouTube video goes public.
After six blank days, the Sun is once again showing spots. As I have mentioned several times in 2010, this might be the last time the Sun is blank for years to come as it ramps up to solar maximum. However, don’t bet on it, as the Sun’s activity has been way below all predictions. The upcoming solar maximum might very well be the first in centuries with blank days interspersed throughout.
Why I use Linux: Hilarious Windows error messages. This is typical:
Windows has detected that you have moved your mouse. Please restart your computer.
Buy your very own Batmobile! Key quote: “The car also has a fully functioning flame thrower.”
A vast storm rages across the face of Saturn.
The SOHO spacecraft, in space monitoring the Sun since 1995, has discovered its 2000th comet!
