Dumbass Republicans just can’t help themselves on rape

Conservatives know they’re supposed to keep their real views on abortion and rape quiet, they’ve been told point blank to not say the word rape at all, and last election two candidates that should have sailed to election in the Senate lost because they could not keep their mouth shut about conservative pseudoscience and rape. But they’re still at it:  [Read more…]

The two America’s on parade

In Wellsville things are great. Better than great, they’re selling a bunch of super rich stuff. I wish I lived there, in that America, or at least on the outskirts where I could visit once in a while, to taste basic financial security for a weekend. But I live in the other America, where you can also spend money! In fact you can rent all kinds of necessities and pay many times what they would cost if you could just afford to buy them. First a peek at how the well off are doing: [Read more…]

Slaying the Zombies of Climate Science

Via my colleague at Daily Kos — Both bad news and some not-quite-so-bad news about carbon dioxide emissions can be found in the 126-page report released Monday by the International World Energy Outlook: Redrawing the Energy Climate Map. The report notes that global, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.4 percent in 2012, 31.6 billion tons, the highest ever. The United States reduced its CO2 emissions by 200 million tons since 2011, Europe by 50 million tons and, while China increased its emissions by 300 million tons, it was the lowest annual increase in a decade as the country upped its investment in renewable sources of energy and efficiency measures.

A rise is still a rise, however, and if no action is taken, there is no way to keep the world from exceeding an accompanying temperature rise of 2°C (3.6°F), the internationally accepted target that scientists say will present problems, but ones that we can adapt to. Without action, we’re headed for a 5.3°C rise (that’s 9°F). Catastrophic.

Grats: It’s a baby galaxy!

Segue 2

Galaxies aren’t just collections of stars. They also have to have a halo of Dark Matter cementing them together to qualify for that distinction. Otherwise any cluster would make the grade. There is an interesting new idea on how to explain Dark Matter making the rounds this week. Meanwhile, astronomers using the Keck Observatory have found what they believe is by far the tiniest galaxy ever seen, made up of only 1000 stars or so, that orbits the Milky Way just past the edge. [Read more…]