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.
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…]
The Hockey Stick graph — a paleoclimate reconstruction of global temperatures for the last millennium courtesy of Mann et al
Fossil fuel funded groups have stymied efforts in the US to make any headway at all on carbon emissions. But a Paris based group, the International Energy Agency (IEA), says we can limit the damage to a relatively manageable rise of 2° C (3.6° F) by the end of this century, if we wake the fuck up: [Read more…]
Remember the good Reverend E. W. Jackson running for Lt Governor of Virginia I wrote about last week? When he’s not preaching the prosperity Gospel, Jackson was quite concerned that people who disagreed with him had been unknowingly “attached to Satan.” Looks like someone, possibly within the GOP, has it in for the good preacher because some nasty stuff turned up: [Read more…]
It worries me that private contractors are bellying up to the super double-secret Intel taxpayer gravy train. The one Snowden worked for and got access to a dizzying array of classified info is called Booz Allen, and they probably just recorded my search on that name on Google while researching this post. They’re probably recording you reading it, too. And I have a message for them:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. — 4th Amendment US Constitution
Maybe I’ll just leave that up on every post from now on. Since they know so much about us, what can we find out about them? [Read more…]
I realize we’re in a dilemma here, we don’t want to encourage people to ruin their lives and careers fumbling around for infame in a gray area between justified citizen action and aiding enemies. But in the video … there is something heroic about this guy. I did not know such strength of character and brain-power existed in the NSA et al and I feel better knowing they do.
Skeptics, all hands on deck: I have a post on antivaxxars about to hit the front page of Daily Kos, at 9 PM Central. It’s gonna be fun. I chose to do this in a roundabout way, using the concept of an allotrope and chemical compounds to get across the idea of how a substance containing a toxic element may and may not be toxic itself depending on how the atoms are arranged before introducing thimersal, containing an antifungal antiseptic organo-mercury compound once considered a possible link to childhood autism. But the money quotes are below: [Read more…]
It took guts to leak that stuff, in an amazing display of intestinal fortitude the NSA leaker has come forward. This guy could be looking at serious prison time … and we are all the better for it: [Read more…]