discuss Science & Technology news & discussion

[CraigD]

Post and discuss interesting articles & videos about science and technology.

You don't need to be an expert - just interested in the wonders of modern science, technology, and the history of these fields.

Please keep it rational, and post articles from reputable sources.
Try not to editorialise headlines and keep the copy to just a paragraph with a link to the original source. When quoting excerpts from articles, I think the best method is to italicise the copy, and include a link to the source.

Have some fun with your comments and discussions... just keep the sources legitimate.

Other threads:
The Break Room has a number of other popular threads, so there is no need to post material here that is better suited to these other threads:

- Covid19-Coronavirus updates and news
- Conspiracy Thread Free For All
- The *religious* discussion thread

Please enjoy!

 

[J Sokol]

World will lose 10% of glacier ice even if it hits climate targets

A tenth of the world’s mountain glacier ice will have melted by the middle of this century even if humanity meets the goals of the Paris climate agreement, according to figures compiled exclusively for the Guardian.

The loss is equivalent to more than 13,200 cubic kilometres of water – enough to fill Lake Superior, or more than 10m Wembley Stadiums – with knock-on effects on highly populated river deltas, wildlife habitats and sea levels.

In some particularly hard-hit areas, including central Europe, North America and low latitudes, glacier mass is expected to decline by more than half.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/29/world-lose-glacier-ice-climate-targets

 

[CraigD]

Lightning may be an important source of air-cleaning chemicals

A storm-chasing airplane caught thunderstorms producing extremely high concentrations of two important oxidants

Lightning could play an important role in flushing pollutants out of the atmosphere.

Observations from a storm-chasing airplane reveal that lightning can forge lots of air-cleansing chemicals called oxidants, researchers report online April 29 in Science. Oxidants help clear the air by reacting with contaminants like methane to form molecules that are more water soluble or stickier, allowing them to more easily rain out of Earth’s atmosphere or stick to its surface.

Researchers knew lightning produces nitric oxide, which can lead to the formation of oxidants such as hydroxyl radicals. But no one had seen lightning directly create lots of these oxidants.

Read on...

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lightning-storm-chemicals-air-clean-atmosphere-pollution

 

[CraigD]

High anxiety: World's longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in Portugal

Hidden between rock-strewn mountains covered with lush greenery and yellow flowers inside the UNESCO-recognised Arouca Geopark, the bridge hangs 175 meters above the fast-flowing River Paiva.

The landscape is calm, but the crossing is not for the faint-hearted. Held up by steel cables and two massive towers on each side, it wobbles a little with every step.

Locals hope the attraction, which cost about 2.3 million euros ($2.8 million) and took around two years to build, will help revive the region, especially after the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Read on...

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/o...-suspension-bridge-opens-portugal-2021-04-29/

 

[CraigD]

Not my best shot of the moon, but it was soo bright tonight I couldn't resist

This shot was taken awhile back...better lens, more clarity

Your B+W image is roughly on par with what I have been able to achieve so far.

I've been using my old Ai-s Nikkor 600mm f5.6 IF ED lens with a 2X adapter lens, but I've encountered a few issues so the perfect moon shot has eluded me to date.

Using an effective 1200mm focal length on a full-frame sensor, the moon moves too quickly across the viewfinder to frame it correctly, so I need to anticipate where it will be before I lock up the camera mirror, which I need to do to decrease vibration. I've tried shooting without locking up the mirror, but my trusty old Manfrotto tripod doesn't have enough weight to reduce the vibration of the mirror slamming open and shut.

Also my old mechanical cable-release doesn't work on the new Nikon digital bodies, so I need to use the cameras digital timer which makes the timing of the framing doubly difficult when you cannot see through the viewfinder.

I've tried using a higher ISO to decrease exposure time, but there is too much grain in the image.

The shots I have managed to date have been taken using a wide aperture (f/5.6 to f/8) to reduce exposure time and vibration, but the sweet spot for sharpness would be around f/11 so it looks like I'm going to need a heavier tripod.

All of the above, coinciding with a perfect clear night away from the city lights... it's a chore but I will get there one day

 

[Cannuck]

Your B+W image is roughly on par with what I have been able to achieve so far.

I've been using my old A-Is Nikkor 600mm f5.6 IF ED lens with a 2X adapter lens, but I've encountered a few issues so the perfect moon shot has eluded me to date.

Wow, that Nikkor is a beautiful lens!

The main reason I stuck with Olympus when things went digital is that I can use my old glass on the small 4/3 body. I'd like to upgrade someday, but I'm not as active as I once was. Besides, I don't mind hacking around with an old camera strapped on like this...(@ goose hunting camp)

 

[CraigD]

Wow, that Nikkor is a beautiful lens!

The main reason I stuck with Olympus when things went digital is that I can use my old glass on the small 4/3 body. I'd like to upgrade someday, but I'm not as active as I once was. Besides, I don't mind hacking around with an old camera strapped on like this...(@ goose hunting camp)

Unfortunately that video is blocked for me

I love those old Olympus OM mount Zuiko lenses - superb image and build quality - they don't make them like that any more!


Thanks! Yes the 600/5.6 is a superb lens but difficult to hand hold due to the weight. It's an old press lens, so it's been around the world a few times and shows the scars, but the image quality is still superb.

When I first decided to settle on a camera system when I got heavily into photography back in the mid 1980's I looked at Nikon, Canon and Olympus.

I decided against Canon because at the time they had two different mounting systems and I wasn't sure which one would persist.

I liked the fact that Nikon had excellent glass and a history of using the same F mount so stuck with Nikon because I already had a handful of Ai-s lenses and had invested in a couple of Nikon F2 bodies and system accessories like motor drives, prism finders and focus screens.

I lucked out because Nikon kept using the Nikon F mount when they went auto-focus and then digital.

I actually sold my old sports Nikkor AF zoom lenses recently, but kept the older AI-s prime manual lenses as there is less to go wrong with them in storage. I picked up a few service manuals cheap on Ebay about 15 years ago, so if I have to, I could probably strip and service them myself if they develop fungus or need lubrication or spare parts.

For a number of years I was actually using my Nikon glass via an adapter on Canon 5D bodies because Nikon didn't offer an affordable full-frame digital option at the time. I really liked the Canon 5D!

Those old manual prime lenses from Nikon and Olympus still fetch premium prices. They were a very good investment.

EDIT: Ahhh - you fixed the video

 

[koolishman]

Wow, that Nikkor is a beautiful lens!

The main reason I stuck with Olympus when things went digital is that I can use my old glass on the small 4/3 body. I'd like to upgrade someday, but I'm not as active as I once was. Besides, I don't mind hacking around with an old camera strapped on like this...(@ goose hunting camp)

I am envious now.

 

[koolishman]

Pregnant Egyptian mummy revealed by scientists

A team of Polish scientists say they have discovered the only known example of an embalmed pregnant Egyptian mummy.

The discovery was made by researchers at the Warsaw Mummy Project and revealed in the Journal of Archaeological Science on Thursday.

The project, started in 2015, uses technology to examine artefacts housed at the National Museum in Warsaw.

The mummy was previously thought to be a male priest but scans reveal it was a woman in the later stages of pregnancy.

Experts from the project believe the remains are most likely of a high-status woman, aged between 20 and 30, who died during the 1st Century BC.

"Presented here is the only known example of a mummified pregnant woman and the first radiological images of such a foetus," they wrote in the journal article announcing the find.


Using the foetus head circumference, they estimate it was between 26 and 30 weeks when the mother died for unknown reasons.

 

[koolishman]

The Cornish hut that gave rise to sea level benchmark

It's not much to look at - an anonymous red-and-white concrete hut that has that familiar battered seaside look.

But the building, on the end of South Pier in Cornwall's Newlyn Harbour, is celebrating an important anniversary.

It was measurements made in the hut, and completed on 30 April 1921, that established mean sea level.

And it's this surface, known as Ordnance Datum Newlyn (ODN), that became the reference against which all other elevations were compared.

Every hill, mountain and building in Britain could be described as being so many feet above the Cornish benchmark.

"Without that datum point, without that 'height zero' level that everyone agrees to use, nothing we do would fit," said Mark Greaves, from Ordnance Survey (OS), the UK's national mapping agency.

"Even with our modern technologies - you know, in some of our applications you can fly around Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Britain), for example - none of that would be possible. It's a fundamental underpinning," he told BBC News.

 

[Cannuck]

I am envious now.

During times like these with all the lockdowns, indeed it's a luxury to have open spaces to go anywhere on ATV or snowmobile. We're into spring break up so it's transition time...

The bush roads can get pretty boggy too, lol...fun stuff!

 

[koolishman]

During times like these with all the lockdowns, indeed it's a luxury to have open spaces to go anywhere on ATV or snowmobile. We're into spring break up so it's transition time...

The bush roads can get pretty boggy too, lol...fun stuff!

Do you run an Airbnb?

 

[koolishman]

Espresso, latte or decaf? Genetic code drives your desire for coffee

Whether you hanker for a hard hit of caffeine or favour the frothiness of a milky cappuccino, your regular coffee order could be telling you more about your cardio health than you think.

In a world first study of 390,435 people, University of South Australia researchers found causal genetic evidence that cardio health -- as reflected in blood pressure and heart rate -- influences coffee consumption.

Conducted in partnership with the SAHMRI, the team found that people with high blood pressure, angina, and arrythmia were more likely to drink less coffee, decaffeinated coffee or avoid coffee altogether compared to those without such symptoms, and that this was based on genetics.

Lead researcher and Director of UniSA's Australian Centre for Precision Health, Professor Elina Hyppönen says it's a positive finding that shows our genetics actively regulate the amount of coffee we drink and protect us from consuming too much.

"People drink coffee for all sorts of reasons -- as a pick me up when they're feeling tired, because it tastes good, or simply because it's part of their daily routine," Prof Hyppönen says.

"But what we don't recognise is that people subconsciously self-regulate safe levels of caffeine based on how high their blood pressure is, and this is likely a result of a protective genetic a mechanism.

"What this means is that someone who drinks a lot of coffee is likely more genetically tolerant of caffeine, as compared to someone who drinks very little.

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqab014/6169154

 

[CraigD]

During times like these with all the lockdowns, indeed it's a luxury to have open spaces to go anywhere on ATV or snowmobile. We're into spring break up so it's transition time...

The bush roads can get pretty boggy too, lol...fun stuff!

Give it another few years and you may be jetpacking around the unforgiving countryside

HOW TO BOARD A SHIP IN STYLE

In a new video released by jetpack maker Gravity Industries, a jetsuit-wearing special ops soldier from the Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Force can be seen boarding a ship — by flying there from a nearby pursuit vessel.

It’s a spectacular demonstration of Gravity Industries’ flying technology. Rather than having to pursue and approach the ship in the tailing vessel, the jetpack-enhanced soldier simply takes to the skies and effortlessly lands on the deck of the ship — in a fraction of the time boarding would have taken otherwise.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/special-ops-jetpack-ship-video

 

[Cannuck]

Do you run an Airbnb?

Not yet, but I do have an off-grid BBnB in progress (bed, bud & breakfast , lol)

It's almost that time of year to get growing

 

[koolishman]

Wild horses and donkeys dig wells in the desert, providing water for wildlife

These unexpected “ecosystem engineers” provide hydration for dozens of animal species, from badgers to elf owls to toads.

Humans have a long history of digging wells, but we're not the only species to tap the earth for water: New research reveals wild horses and donkeys, also known as burros, can as well.

As described in a paper published April 29 in the journal Science, the animals use their hooves to dig more than six feet deep to reach groundwater for themselves, in turn creating oases that serve as a boon to wildlife—American badgers, black bears, and an array of birds, including some declining species such as elf owls.

The scientists found that a total of 57 species came to these equine-created wells to drink: raptors, such as red-tailed hawks and Cooper’s hawks; smaller birds such as yellow warblers, hooded orioles, and scrub jays; large mammals such as mule deer, bighorn sheep, and badgers; and even Colorado river toads.

They also set up cameras at nearby spots without wells, to serve as scientific controls and determine the influence of the wells in drawing wildlife. The species richness observed at these wells was 64 percent higher than at the control sites, suggesting the animals intentionally visited the equine-made wells. The researchers also mapped open-water sources in the areas surrounding their study sites, and found that the well-digging equines increased accessible surface water density by up to 14-fold.

 

[CraigD]

Not yet, but I do have an off-grid BBnB in progress (bed, bud & breakfast , lol)

It's almost that time of year to get growing

In some jurisdictions you would be getting boarded/raided by jetpack law enforcement

 

[koolishman]

How long is a day on Venus? Scientists crack mysteries of our closest neighbor

Now, new observations from the safety of Earth are lifting the veil on some of Venus' most basic properties. By repeatedly bouncing radar off the planet's surface over the last 15 years, a UCLA-led team has pinned down the precise length of a day on Venus, the tilt of its axis and the size of its core. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Earth and Venus have a lot in common: Both rocky planets have nearly the same size, mass and density. And yet they evolved along wildly different paths. Fundamentals such as how many hours are in a Venusian day provide critical data for understanding the divergent histories of these neighboring worlds.

Changes in Venus' spin and orientation reveal how mass is spread out within. Knowledge of its internal structure, in turn, fuels insight into the planet's formation, its volcanic history and how time has altered the surface. Plus, without precise data on how the planet moves, any future landing attempts could be off by as much as 30 kilometers.

The new radar measurements show that an average day on Venus lasts 243.0226 Earth days—roughly two-thirds of an Earth year. What's more, the rotation rate of Venus is always changing: A value measured at one time will be a bit larger or smaller than a previous value. The team estimated the length of a day from each of the individual measurements, and they observed differences of at least 20 minutes.

 

[CraigD]

‘Disaster Girl’ selling original photo behind viral meme for $473K [as NFT]

She’s cashing in on her 15 minutes of flame.

The woman in the iconic “Disaster Girl” meme is capitalizing on her internet fame 16 years later — by selling the original photo for a mind-boggling $473,000.

“Disaster Girl” is now a non-fungible token (NFT), a unique digital signature, which allowed it to be sold like a piece of art.

read on...

https://nypost.com/2021/04/28/disaster-girl-selling-original-photo-behind-viral-meme/

 

[koolishman]

Mapping the 'superhighways' travelled by the first Australians

'Superhighways' used by a population of up to 6.5 million Indigenous Australians to navigate the continent tens of thousands of years ago have been revealed by new research using sophisticated modelling of past people and landscapes.

The new insights into how people not only survived, but thrived, in harsh environments provide further evidence of the capacity and resilience of the ancestors of Indigenous people, and help paint a picture of large, well-organised groups navigating tough terrain.

The 'peopling' of Sahul—the combined mega continent that joined Australia with New Guinea when sea levels were lower than today—could have taken as little as 5,000 years as people moved from the far northwest, all the way to Tasmania in the southeast.

Models also predict that the total population of Sahul could have reached as much as 6.5 million people, according to the studies led by researchers from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).

Many Aboriginal cultures believe people have always been here, while others have strong oral histories of ancestral beings arriving from the north.

 

[Cannuck]

In some jurisdictions you would be getting boarded/raided by jetpack law enforcement

True that, but it's legal across Canada now and being a licensed grower has its advantages

 

[koolishman]

One incredible ocean crossing may have made human evolution possible

Humans evolved in Africa, along with chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys. But primates themselves appear to have evolved elsewhere – likely in Asia – before colonising Africa. At the time, around 50 million years ago, Africa was an island isolated from the rest of the world by ocean – so how did primates get there?

A land bridge is the obvious explanation, but the geological evidence currently argues against it. Instead, we’re left with a far more unlikely scenario: early primates may have rafted to Africa, floating hundreds of miles across oceans on vegetation and debris.

The oldest primate relative, Purgatorius, lived 65 million years ago, just after the dinosaurs disappeared. It’s from Montana.

The oldest true primates also occur outside Africa. Teilhardina, related to monkeys and apes, lived 55 million years ago, throughout Asia, North America, and Europe. Primates arrived in Africa later. Lemur-like fossils appear there 50 million years ago, and monkey-like fossils around 40 million years ago.

But Africa split from South America and became an island 100 million years ago, and only connected with Asia 20 million years ago. If primates colonised Africa during the 80 million years the continent spent isolated, then they needed to cross water.

Rafting explains how rodents colonised Africa, then South America. Rafting likely explains how Afrotheria, the group containing elephants and aardvarks, got to Africa. Marsupials, evolving in North America, probably rafted to South America, then Antarctica, and finally Australia. Other oceanic crossings include mice to Australia, and tenrecs, mongooses and hippos to Madagascar.

Oceanic crossings aren’t an evolutionary subplot; they’re central to the story. They explain the evolution of monkeys, elephants, kangaroos, rodents, lemurs – and us. And they show that evolution isn’t always driven by ordinary, everyday processes but also by bizarrely improbable events.

 

[CraigD]

Rafting explains how rodents colonised Africa, then South America. Rafting likely explains how Afrotheria, the group containing elephants and aardvarks, got to Africa. Marsupials, evolving in North America, probably rafted to South America, then Antarctica, and finally Australia. Other oceanic crossings include mice to Australia, and tenrecs, mongooses and hippos to Madagascar.

Oceanic crossings aren’t an evolutionary subplot; they’re central to the story. They explain the evolution of monkeys, elephants, kangaroos, rodents, lemurs – and us. And they show that evolution isn’t always driven by ordinary, everyday processes but also by bizarrely improbable events.

I'd like to see an elephant try crossing an ocean on a raft...

 

[CraigD]

Mammals’ brains: new research shows bigger doesn’t always mean smarter

Evolutionary tree of mammals - different colours represent groups of species that share a similar brain-to-body size relationship


If a friend boasts of having a “big-brained” dog, your reaction is probably not to ask “relative to what?”. You would simply assume your friend thinks their dog is pretty smart. But are we always right to equate big brains with greater intelligence?

In a study published today in Science Advances, we and our colleagues describe how the relationship between large brains and “intelligence” in mammalian evolution isn’t as straightforward as you might assume.

A key problem is that, in evolutionary terms, a “large brain” doesn’t just refer to the absolute size of the brain. Rather, we refer to mammals as big-brained when their brain volume is large relative to their body mass.

read on...

https://theconversation.com/mammals...hows-bigger-doesnt-always-mean-smarter-159141

 

[CraigD]

How long is a day on Venus? Scientists crack mysteries of our closest neighbor

Now, new observations from the safety of Earth are lifting the veil on some of Venus' most basic properties. By repeatedly bouncing radar off the planet's surface over the last 15 years, a UCLA-led team has pinned down the precise length of a day on Venus, the tilt of its axis and the size of its core. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Earth and Venus have a lot in common: Both rocky planets have nearly the same size, mass and density. And yet they evolved along wildly different paths. Fundamentals such as how many hours are in a Venusian day provide critical data for understanding the divergent histories of these neighboring worlds.

Changes in Venus' spin and orientation reveal how mass is spread out within. Knowledge of its internal structure, in turn, fuels insight into the planet's formation, its volcanic history and how time has altered the surface. Plus, without precise data on how the planet moves, any future landing attempts could be off by as much as 30 kilometers.

The new radar measurements show that an average day on Venus lasts 243.0226 Earth days—roughly two-thirds of an Earth year. What's more, the rotation rate of Venus is always changing: A value measured at one time will be a bit larger or smaller than a previous value. The team estimated the length of a day from each of the individual measurements, and they observed differences of at least 20 minutes.

Due to the variance of the planet's spin noted by the study, this would mean that to land a science mission on a specific spot, a spacecraft will have to go into orbit and radar map the terrain to pinpointing the landing location before deorbiting, which will complicate any future missions.

 

[koolishman]

I'd like to see an elephant try crossing an ocean on a raft...

Been done before. By human help.

Also,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suleiman_(elephant)