Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - April 14th

Given rising gas prices, a supply issue, and the want to build more things that need to tap into electricity (like data centers), it's amazing to me there isn't more coverage of the topic. 

Americans are getting squeezed at the pump and in their utility bills. And it barely registers. 

So here's a bill that was introduced to help Americans. The energy bills relief act would address some of this and might actually help. 

Is it perfect? No. 

Does it address the broad problem and make some reasonable tradeoffs to help? Yes. 

Does it get any attention whatsoever? No. 

Is it likely to pass? As much as I'd hope so, I would assume the answer will be no. 


===

Disney and National Geographic Invite Audiences to ‘Step into Wonder’ This Earth Month to Celebrate and Explore the World Around Them

Earth Day is coming up, and Disney wants to help you to take it in.  

Not content to confine it to a single day, Disney is celebrating Earth Month in partnership with National Geographic.  It nicely fits within the idea of the True Life Adventures that Walt Disney himself created.

"For 138 years, National Geographic has been guided by a spirit of exploration that opens hearts as much as it expands minds," said Courteney Monroe, President, National Geographic. "With 'Step into Wonder,' we're putting that spirit at the center of Disney's Earth Month, creating a platform for stories that spark a love for our planet and inspire families to step outside and celebrate the everyday wonders of our world." 




Artemis returns!

Wow.  It was an amazing thing that happened!  The Artemis crew went off into space, circled the moon, and returned safely. They were at a fairly high altitude from the lunar surface, so in completing their mission, they became the humans that went the farthest from Earth - ever. The Apollo 13 astronauts were much closer to the lunar surface, so Artemis now holds the distinction.

They had a bit of a side mission to catalog as much of the moon as they could see, documeting, and taking photos and videos.  Many of the photos were beamed back to Earth in near-real time, so we could see them before the crew landed.  We now have most of the moon captured in images, which is pretty cool.  We also got some amazing views of Earth - and in some, the sun was eclipsed by the Earth!

They also took on a now 50-year-old tradition, which was started with the first Apollo mission to the moon, and had the opportunity to name a crater. Commander Reid's wife had died somewhat recently. and the other three crew decided that the crater would be named after his late wife.  Which was simply heartwarming.

But beyond that, the one thing that got me was how spoiled we've become.  We had real time video and audio coming back from the crew (in actuality, its delayed by about 1.5 seconds each way, but that's less than the delay on terrestrial TV broadcasts which is about 7 seconds).  We lost contact with the crew as they went behind the moon, as expected, because the transmission waves follow a straight line, and the moon was blocking those waves.  

What was more surprising was that the transmission cut out as the spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere.  That's due to the plasma buildup on the vehicle.  But, with SpaceX missions, we have a constant live view and can see the plasma buildup.  And the reason for that is because SpaceX is using its starlink satellites to receive the transmission and beam that to Earth.  NASA doesn't have that capability.  And I admit I missed it.

In fact, the entirety of the return and recovery felt very much like the Apollo missions. You had grainy footage (with terrible white balance) from aircraft in the area.  You had "visualizations" that showed us what was happening (rather than the real thing).  You had a distant view from a ship when it splashed down.  And to recover the crew, they sent helicopters to fish them off of what amounts to a life raft, and hoist them up and ferry them to a waiting ship.  Compare that with the SpaceX returns that have a recovery ship that quickly goes to retrieve the capsule and haul it onboard; astronauts then are helped onto the ship without the extra steps involved.

Anyway, it was totally amazing.  And to the science deniers who say we've never left Earth, I say: suck it.


China Tried to Block the Gobi Desert with Millions of Trees, Only to Turn a “Biological Void” Into Carbon-Sink Territory

Planting trees at the deserts edge has an ecological benefit, helps maintain the size of the desert, and acts as a carbon sink that actually helps scrub more of the earths gasses. 
 




As VA Looks Ahead to Dementia Needs, Study Finds Immune Cells Attack Alzheimer’s Plaques in Brain | Military.com

Certainly, plaque buildup is one of the big contributing factors to Alzheimer's.  So eliminating the plaque is important to the prevention of the disease. 

I'm intrigued by the notion that building up certain immune cells can help this to happen.  It's a fairly simple application, and theoretically inexpensive. I look forward to seeing how this turns out as they study it further. 




Humans in The Andes Appear to Have Evolved a Strange Genetic Ability : ScienceAlert

Here's a story about people in a region of Argentina, high in the Andes, who have evolved to be able to process high levels of arsenic. 

Humans have lived there for over 7,000 years, and the arsenic level in the water is 200 times what is considered the safe limit. Yet, these people have thrived there. 

Another amazing example of adaptation and a form of evolution to meet the surroundings. 

Aside: there are some among us who stupidly ask why there are still monkeys if we evolved from them. I would ask why are they still here if some have evolved to process arsenic? That's clearly an ability they don't have, ergo they shouldn't exist, right?



US scientists turn bourbon waste into high-performance electrodes

Here's a use for "stillage," that is the waste byproduct of distilling bourbon. 

It turns out that the material makes a great material for supercapacitors - an energy storage device that's similar to a battery in this context. 

Creativity for the win. 





Bonus: A South African Inventor created a means to quickly - and cheaply - fill in potholes.  Now that's innovation. 




Bitchin' Dave's newsletter is published weekly.  Please feel free to forward it around. If you want to subscribe or unsubscribe, send an email to geezergamer92@gmail.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - May 6th

Image
With all that's happening in the world, it sure feels like we are being destroyed from within.  Which calls to mind an address  Abraham Lincoln made to the  Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois in 1838. He w arned us against the dangers of mob violence and the erosion of respect for law and government.     How then shall we perform it?--At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow?   Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destructi...
Read more

Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - December 2nd

Image
A few years ago, the World Cup was awarded to "North America" - with some games in Canada, some games in Mexico, and some games (including the late rounds and finals) in the United States. Plans were made.  Contracts were signed.  Stadiums were updated.  Sponsors got involved.  Lots and lots of money changed hands to get ready for the event.  Its huge, and is the ultimate in "inclusion" with people travelling from around the world to see their team play! And then, we had an election, and the idiot in chief started to take over the event to a degree.  He invited the head of FIFA to visit and told him he might move the games around at his discretion.  Word is that the head of FIFA was quite put off by that. The contracts, the money, everything would be a huge headache.  Sponsors reacted by making a decision to spend more of their energy on games hosted in Mexico and Canada. Of course, there were rumblings and quiet talks  about maybe moving some games out of the US al...
Read more

Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - April 29th

Image
As many of you know, I volunteer fairly regularly at the local food bank.  When I volunteered last week, the coordinator made a point of telling us that the donations are trending downward, while the need continues to rise.  She noted that the current political climate just exacerbates the situation. She reminded us that there are only about 200 major food banks across the country, which puts a lot of pressure on these banks.  And then over the weekend, I got a plea for a financial contribution. I'm more than happy to promote this cause. It's a really good one!  ---------- Forwarded message --------- I hope this note finds you well!   Many of our Feeding South Florida partners and friends have been asking how we're doing in the midst of so much uncertainty and challenges in our government. The truth is, we're feeling the strain and experiencing unexpected gaps, and so are the individuals and families we serve. We've already absorbed serious setbacks:   More than $80...
Read more