Hello again science fans! Xin chào một lần nữa những người hâm mộ khoa học! (2% of Bay Area residents speak Vietnamese at home)
I keep humming to myself, “Oh Lord, stuck in orbit again.” (With props to John Fogerty, a former El Cerrito teen) Not only is the Starliner crew - Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore - stuck in the orbiting International Space Station, none of the crew can even take a stroll outside since the ISS spacesuits are leaking coolant. Besides that, the entire complex was threatened by the explosive breakup of the Resurs-P-1 satellite last Wednesday. That satellite’s 6.5 tonnes of debris are spreading out - traveling at 7 km/sec - and threatening to destroy other satellites in low Earth orbit, and those collisions threaten to create yet more debris that in turn threaten even more satellites. I’ve written about this before - it’s called the Kessler Syndrome. NASA is tracking the approximately 9,000 tonnes of orbiting defunct satellites and debris in order to predict collisions.
Oh. And, by the way, living weightless in space with inadequate protection from cosmic rays is bad for your health. Partial list: bone loss, heightened cancer risk, vision impairment, weakened immune systems, mental health issues, and telomere lengthening.
Next Sunday, July 7 at 10:29 PM, step outside and wave to the ISS crew as they pass directly overhead. They could use a little cheering up.
There are always cool things happening in space. Check out the short videos here showing a recent fireball over Spain and Portugal. Also, i did not know that a star could create a nova explosion that repeats every 80 years - and T Coronae Borealis is about to do just that. (If you miss it, just wait 80 years for the next one.) A Chinese probe, Chang’e 6, collected regolith and rocks from the Moon’s farside and returned the samples for scientists to study. That’s a first.
RAFFLE
We are offering a 12 oz glass beer stein with the molecular formula for Ethyl Alcohol. Just send an email before noon Friday to david.almandsmith [at] gmail.com with your guess of an integer between 0 and 1,000. Last time, Greg was the winner of a kinetic desk toy with his guess of 500.
BIOLOGY / ETHOLOGY
There are at least three Sperm Whales who apparently and successfully sought assistance from human divers to remove ropes and nets caught in their jaws. Whales lack hands or they would probably do it themselves. ¿Has each of those Sperm Whales individually recognized that human divers could help, or have they spread that news by the use of language?
Another mystery concerns the bits of Neanderthal DNA that all of us have in our genomes, unless we are wholly African in origin. There appears to be a total lack of Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosomal DNA in modern humans. Several hypotheses have been put forward for further research.
The taxonomic order of beetles - Coleoptera - consists of about 200 Families, 30,000 Genera, and 400,000 Species. Add a newly discovered species in a new genera. It’s about as long as my pinkie fingernail is wide, and resembles a fungus-infected bird dropping. Biological evolution is marvelous.
In contrast, there are only four species of monotremes - egg-laying mammals: three echidnas and the platypus. Back in the days of the dinosaurs, there were at least six species - three of those just recently described. Just imagine modern family life if humans laid eggs!
CLIMATE
Undoubtedly you are aware that over a thousand pilgrims died from high temperatures in and around Mecca during the Hajj. In Mexico, Howler Monkeys fell dead from trees due to high temperatures there.
For many thousands of years, the massive Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica has been slowly crawling into the ocean. Where the glacier meets the sea, it has to grind over the stone barrier - the grounding line - that forces it to move slowly. With rising sea levels and the warming of atmosphere and ocean, the glacier will speed its advance and its melting. New studies show this process is happening faster than earlier forecasts.
The solar energy contribution to the electrical power grid is growing rapidly - and that presents a problem: ¿How to store energy created during the day so it can be used at night? An efficient solution is to use excess mid-day energy to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher one, and at night let the water flow back down powering electric turbines. But that doesn’t work where the landscape is level. Massive rechargeable batteries are sometimes used. On the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia, they inflate and deflate a big balloon! (Let me know if that article is behind a paywall.)
MY PICKS of the WEEK (Hint: save dates & times to your mobile phone)
Future of Human Exploration on Mars 7:30pm Monday, Cal Academy of Sciences, $
First Friday: Glow 6 - 10pm Friday, Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland, $
Nike Missile Site Open House Noon - 3pm Saturday, Mill Valley
Skyline Ridge Preserve Morning Hike 9 - Noon Sunday, Los Altos
A little farther along: SkeptiCal 2024 Online July 19 - 21
ECOLOGY
Last Wednesday I was delighted watching a River Otter and her two pups cavorting in our local pond. Several of our neighbors had spied otters there years ago but this was my first encounter. Very special.
About 20 years ago we went wildlife watching at Elkhorn Slough near Moss Landing. Disappointing. It looked to be in decline and lacking in wildlife except for a few species of bird. Today, Elkhorn Slough is thriving thanks to otters, Sea Otters.
FUN (?) NERDY VIDEOS
Cutting-Edge Magic - Magic Friday - Joe Schwarcz - 2 mins (¿Know how it’s done?)
Science Saves Lives; It’s Written in Stone - ScienceSaves - 3 mins
A Bird with Claws on its Wings - Bizarre Beasts - Sarah Suta - 5.5 minutes
AI Learned to Lie - Sabine Hossenfelder - 6 mins
Electrons from Morocco to the U.K. - Just Have a Think - David Borlace - 12 mins
Space News 27 June - Dr. Becky - Becky Smethurst - 12 mins
Chat GPT 4.0 - 15 mins
Space-Time Portals - Sabine Hossenfelder - 15 mins
¿What if Singularities do not exist? - PBS Spacetime - Matt O’Dowd - 15 mins
Pseudoscience Support - Dr. Andrea Love - 22 mins
Antarctica - Joe Scott - 27 mins
[Whew! I’ve made it to the end without mentioning wars or politics.]
Have a great week (while exercising your empathy muscles),
Dave Almandsmith, Bay Area Skeptics
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 07/01/2024
The Future Human Exploration of Mars - 07/01/2024 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
The first human mission to Mars will be humanity’s greatest adventure in space exploration this century. As with all expeditions, its success depends on planning. The first steps are already under way, as we build more efficient rockets, achieve longer space flights, plan our return to the Moon, and work in extreme environments on Earth viewed as Mars “analogs.”
Dr. Pascal Lee (SETI Institute and NASA Ames) will present the progress being made around the world, from the Arctic to Antarctica, from basement labs to the International Space Station and the Artemis Program, to achieve the first human voyage to Mars, examining in turn the what, why, how, where, when, and who of the first human mission to Mars.
Friday, 07/05/2024
First Friday: Glow - 07/05/2024 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Ready, set… GLOW! First Fridays are back at Chabot and we can’t wait to party with you! This month, join us under the stars for an electrifying evening of neon nebulae and glowing galaxies. Explore the mysteries of the universe as you immerse yourself in integrative exhibits, hands on activities and mesmerizing glow-in-the-dark displays. Discover the spectacular science behind why things glow, make your own glow-in-the-dark jewelry so you never forget that you light up every room, and, of course, don’t forget your dancing shoes!
Astro 101: Sights of the Cosmos, Intro to Astronomy - 07/05/2024 08:15 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
This event provides a different introduction to astronomy than our Intro to the Night Sky talks. During this hour, you'll gain an appreciation for the size and scale of the cosmos and our place within it. You'll see many examples of the beautiful objects visible in the night sky, learn something about how we see them through our telescopes and what we can deduce about them through the light they send us. And then you can make your own prediction of whether we're alone in the universe.
This talk is free of charge. Just come and enjoy the show. After the talk, you can check out telescopes that will be set up as part of our In-Town Star Party. (See In Town Star Party event on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/sj-astronomy/events/300659120/)
The talk will be presented by Wolf Witt.
In Town Star Party - 07/05/2024 09:30 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Come join San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) for an evening of stargazing.
Event details:
Events are held at the parking lot of our headquarters, Houge Park San Jose. The event duration is 2 hours. SJAA volunteers will share night sky views from their telescopes.Please refrain from bringing your own telescopes (Binoculars are welcome). If you like to be a volunteer with or without a telescope please email at "itsp@sjaa.net".SJAA as an all volunteer-nonprofit org depends on the City of San Jose to use facilities at Houge Park. To maintain this relationship, we must provide facility-use data to the city. Therefore, we ask you to sign in (no traceable personal data collected) when you arrive at the event.
Saturday, 07/06/2024
Nike Missile Site Veteran Open House - 07/06/2024 12:00 PM
Nike Missle Site Mill Valley
Veterans of the Nike program come to the site to share their stories with visitors and give guided tours of SF88 between the hours of 12pm - 3pm
The SF-88 Nike Missile Site is the most fully restored Nike missile site in the country. During the tense years of the Cold War, from 1953 to 1979, the United States Army built and operated close to 300 Nike missile sites in the United States. These sites were designed to be the last line of defense against H-Bomb carrying Soviet bombers that had eluded the Air Force’s interceptor jet aircrafts. SF-88 in the Marin Headlands was one such site. Today, Golden Gate National Recreation Area works together with a dedicated group of volunteers to preserve the site as it was during operations to remind visitors of the physical and psychological effects of the Cold War on the American landscape.
Sunday, 07/07/2024
Morning Hike at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve - 07/07/2024 09:00 AM
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Los Altos
Join POST for this guided hike at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve! A POST Representative will share a few words about POST’s decades of conservation success before hiking groups leave to explore a moderate to strenuous 4.5 mile hike with 800 feet of elevation gain.
POST has made many contributions towards protecting Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve and the surrounding lands over the past several decades, which are now managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. This area contains diverse plant ecosystems and water features that make it an important habitat for a variety of wildlife. This hike will feature views of a lake, pond, and stunning redwood groves. The area also contains bedrock mortars, highlighting the presence of Native peoples in this area since time immemorial.
All attendees must RSVP via Eventbrite. More detailed information regarding parking and meet-up locations will be sent out to all attendees prior to the event.
Please note that dogs are not allowed on community hikes and that all minors must be accompanied by a parent/guardian for the entirety of the hike.
Register at weblink
Five Dollar Day at The Lawrence Hall of Science - 07/07/2024 10:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Visit The Lawrence and enjoy all the hands-on science we offer for just $5 per person. Put your engineering and design skills to the test, take control of the Planetarium dome, meet live reptiles and amphibians in our Animal Discovery Zone, and more! $5 Days are part of our efforts to increase access to our programs for all.
Admission Information
$20 ticket price has been reduced to $5 per person. Admission is free for UC Berkeley students & staff, Members, children 2 and under, Museums for All, and active-duty military.
More details: lawrencehallofscience.org/events/five-dollar-day-3/
Wednesday, 07/10/2024
Speculative Storytelling, Real Science: What-if Questions in 'The Mountain in the Sea' - Livestream - 07/10/2024 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Thursday, 07/11/2024
Twists and Turns in Teaching Evolution - Livestream - 07/11/2024 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
Making Cancer Non-lethal in Our Lifetime - 07/11/2024 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
NightLifeCon - 07/11/2024 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: See for Yourself - 07/11/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Multimedia Forensics: Challenges and Opportunities in the Era of Large Models - Livestream - 07/11/2024 07:00 PM
IEEE Signal Processing Society
Friday, 07/12/2024
Exoplanets: a cosmic odyssey bringing worlds and broadening horizons - SOLD OUT - 07/12/2024 08:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Saturday, 07/13/2024
BioBlitz at Coyote Creek Visitor Center - 07/13/2024 09:00 AM
Coyote Creek Visitor Center at Anderson Lake Morgan Hill
Wonderfest: How To Be More Uncertain - 07/13/2024 10:00 AM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Perils of Plastic Foodware and the Path to Healthier Materials - 07/13/2024 11:30 AM
Downtown Berkeley Farmers' Market Berkeley
Galactic Archeology: Using Stars to Map the Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way - 07/13/2024 08:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
City Public Star Party - 07/13/2024 08:30 PM
City Star Parties - Tunnel Tops Park San Francisco
Foothills Family Nature Walk - 07/13/2024 09:00 PM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Sunday, 07/14/2024
The Lawrence Carnival - 07/14/2024 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Solar Observing - 07/14/2024 02:00 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Monday, 07/15/2024
In it together: Microbial interactions with threatened marine hosts and ecosystems - 07/15/2024 11:00 AM
UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Research Talks Bodega Bay
Advancing the Science: The Latest in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research - 07/15/2024 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
July LASER Event - 07/15/2024 07:00 PM
Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge Stanford