Scientists reveal actual color of feathered dinosaur

Microraptor gui holotype fossil with white arrows pointing out feather impressions, click image for background info. New colored reconstruction below the fold

Fossils are rare, fossils which preserve feathers and other soft tissue are extraordinarily rare. But scientists re-examining a fossil of a feathered, flying dinosaur unearthed in China’s rich Yixian and Jiufotang formations have found a specimen so well preserved, despite spending more than 130 million years in the ground, that they are able to determine the actual color and tone of the little dino: [Read more…]

Jobs report strong for Feb

The current Great Recession in red vs past post WW2 recessions.

Not gonna say I told you so … but I did. What’s interesting about this month’s report is, as little as a two weeks ago, I was hearing some behind the scenes speculation from reliable people who murmured that this report was expected to be lousy, the weakest of the Winter-Spring set. So it’s not clear to me what this means: [Read more…]

Let’s All Go to the Lobby: Santorum sweeping to upset in three big races

Results: AK, GAG, MAR , NDS, OH, OKS, TNS, VTR, VAR
G=Gingrich, R=Romney, S=Santorum, the actual delegate math is horribly confusing. But Romney will bring in a nice haul from ID, VA, and MA. In OH, Santorum somehow managed to totally fuck up his paperwork in several key districts and won’t be getting those delegates no matter who wins them.

(Twitter is blowing up tonite: I’m @SAndrewDKos). Interesting stat: we’re clocking over 100k hits an hour at Daily Kos right now.

Howard Fineman “I wouldn’t call it the GOP anymore, it’s the American Faith Party.”
10:30PM Central: (Update, Santorum takes ND caucus! Romney wins ID caucus) It’s a barn-burner in Ohio with Santorum 417,821 to Romney 423,680 with ~92% in (NBC says they can’t call the race tonite, I think Romney has it and I’m out folks, g’nigh). Extrapolating, there are about 50K votes up for grabs for the two front runners to split at this time. Some remaining counties are notoriously slow to report and may not be in tonite. But the narrative is now set: Romney cannot close the deal even though he outspent Frothy $12 million to one million dollars. [Read more…]

Sizable object believed to have hit earth 13,000 years ago

A new study finds strong evidence that an asteroid or comet hit the earth about 13,000 years ago and may have played a role in a dramatic climate shift around that time. A 16 member team from UC Santa Barbara has found nanodiamonds and other artifacts of the theoritical impact which fits like a glove with a sudden cold snap at the end of the most recent ice-age called the Younga Dryas: [Read more…]

What’s in store tonite: Super-duper Tuesday and the fictional Presidents

March 6, 2012, a day that will live in infamy. Super Tuesday, so named because a 10 states have their primaries all at once. Once again, Mittens of Romney can purportedly put this thing away and claim head the title of clown in the dwindling GOP clown car. To do that he needs to win Ohio decisively and at least one southern state. Polling wrap up with links here.

Tennessee is one big possibility for the latter. But Mittens has come under fire for the usual Mittens shenanigans of documented lies and brazen flip-flopping: [Read more…]