science – Page 692 – Behind The Black

The solar maximum keep shrinking

January 20, 2011 2:53 am Robert Zimmerman

Solar scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center have once again revised downward their prediction for the intensity of the next solar maximum. Key quote:

Current prediction for the next sunspot cycle maximum gives a smoothed sunspot number maximum of about 59 in June/July of 2013. We are currently two years into Cycle 24 and the predicted size continues to fall.

If this prediction holds, the upcoming solar maximum could be the lowest since the cycle came back to life in around 1715 following the Maunder Minimum.

the solar cycle

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Climate change study had ‘significant error’: experts

January 19, 2011 6:58 pm Robert Zimmerman

Climate scientists admit that a climate change study which claimed the Earth would warm by more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit in about a decade had “significant errors”. Key quote:

Scientist Scott Mandia forwarded to AFP an email he said he sent to Hisas ahead of publication explaining why her figures did not add up, and noting that it would take “quite a few decades” to reach a warming level of 2.4 degrees Celsius. “Even if we assume the higher end of the current warming rate, we should only be 0.2C warmer by 2020 than today,” Mandia wrote. “To get to +2.4C the current trend would have to immediately increase almost ten-fold.”

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A Mars Map app for Android phones

January 19, 2011 5:05 pm Robert Zimmerman

A Mars map app for Android phones.

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New Study Finds No Sign of ‘First Habitable Exoplanet’

January 18, 2011 10:14 pm Robert Zimmerman

Bad news for Gliese 581g, the first exoplanet thought to orbit its star in the habitable zone: A new study can’t find it.

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Univ. of Kentucky settles lawsuit from astronomer over academic religious bigotry

January 18, 2011 10:10 pm Robert Zimmerman

The University of Kentucky has agreed to pay $125,000 to the astronomer who was denied a job because of academic religious bigotry.

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Gates proposes using cell phone technology to register every birth on the planet

January 18, 2011 5:03 pm Robert Zimmerman

What could possibly go wrong? Bill Gates has proposed using cell phone technology to create a register of every birth on the planet.

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Researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years

January 18, 2011 11:25 am Robert Zimmerman

Japanese researchers are going to try to resurrect the extinct mammoth, using cloning technology.

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2010 Sea Level: Largest drop ever recorded?

January 17, 2011 6:56 pm Robert Zimmerman

2010 sea level: The largest drop ever recorded? Key quote:

2006 was the first year to show a drop in the global sea level. 2010 will be the 2nd year to show a decrease in sea level. That is correct, 2 of the past 5 years are going to show a decrease in sea level. 2010 could likely show a significant drop global sea level. By significant I mean it is possible that it will likely drop between 2-3 mm from 2009.

All IPCC predictions insist that increased carbon dioxide will cause sea level rise. All these predictions are now wrong, as carbon dioxide is still increasing in the atmosphere but the sea level has actually been going down.

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