Ridley Scott Just Needs a Little Focus: A Review of the Martian [World's Fair]

The Martian is a feel-good, science positive, uplifting film about the power of the human spirit, botany, and engineering. It looked, from the credits, like it had at least 8 scientific advisors from NASA (and possibly other places). Too bad that Ridley Scott only half listened to them. As one of the primary sci-fi filmmakers working today, it’s kind of amazing how a lot of the science in Ridley Scott’s films sort of leaves a chalky taste in the mouth. (Take a look at this link for a scathing review of the science in Prometheus).

It’s clear that The Martian is science-positive – the main character’s facility with everything from chemistry to botany to electrical engineering is quite inspiring, even though, this itself it is one of the not-quite-realistic elements of the movie (I am told that the book does a better job of making Mark’s broad spectrum of practical knowledge believable rather than seeming almost savant-like as in the movie).

So, spoilers ahead, what’s good, what’s bad in The Martian:

Good:
1) A botanist as the hero! A scientist as the hero! And a plot that involves explaining what Mark was doing as he was doing it (although never far from the surface).
2) The whole problem solving aesthetic of the movie really captures the science and engineering spirit beautifully.
3) “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this” – what a great line!

Please don’t get me wrong – the Martian, on the whole, is one of the most science positive, science-career-inspiring movies to hit theaters in a long time – it is a step in the right direction – a big step in the right direction. But it’s only another step on a road that stretches out a bit farther into the future.

Sloppy Movie Science:
1) The hurricane force dust storm on Mars has already been acknowledged by the author of the book, and widely discussed, as a scientific inaccuracy “necessary” to the plot. This is, in my opinion, just a little bit lazy plotting and a desire for some dramatic visuals. There are many other possible reasons that Mark might have been left on Mars that are more realistic, but maybe less dramatic.
2) Making water from hydrazine. Hmm…hydrazine is rather toxic. Mark doesn’t wear any protective gear while working with it. He probably would have killed himself before getting much water, especially working with it as depicted in the movie.
3) The ship itself seems a bit on the absurdly large side – lots of long, apparently empty cylindrical corridors to fly through at high speed in microgravity – looks neat, doesn’t really match the reality of the ISS or any other ship ever yet sent into space. It even makes the USS Enterprise look cramped. Similar giant ship silliness has been pointed out for Prometheus.
4) Jessica Chastain as the commander of the mission? Couldn’t they get Zooey Deschanel? Or Sarah Jessica Parker? Could this be an embedded hilarious joke by the director? Apparently whoever cast the film was not allowed to meet any real astronauts. Jessica Chastain is a wonderful actress, she is just not the right actress for this part –she exudes little or no confidence, clarity, competence, intelligence, control or inherent leadership qualities of any kind. I don’t believe I would feel very safe on a ship in her command. Check out Anamaria Marinca in Europa Report if you want to see how one should cast this part. Check out any armed forces commercial on television if you want to see more appropriate portrayals.
5) I hypothesize that upon seeing astronauts scampering and scooting, and hopping along the outside of the space ship WITHOUT ANY TETHERS, that all 8 NASA advisors probably felt faint and secretly wondered if it was too late to take their name off the credits but still cash their checks. This is only a hypothesis, of course.
6) Is there really no other way to slow the ship down other than blowing parts of it up? Well, okay, none that involve awesome explosions in space (complete with sound! Just like in Star Wars, but unlike in 2001 A Space Odyssey, where accuracy was a bit more in evidence).
7) There might be an average 12-13 minute communication delay between Mars and Earth, but the much longer communication delays between “what Mark was doing” and “when the people on Earth figured out what he was doing” was kind of painful to watch, and underscored how fortunate it was that Mark seemed to be a cross between Einstein, Tesla, and George Washington Carver.
8) Like the dust storm that starts the movie, the whole rescue scene is way over the top, even beyond the lack of astronaut tethers (for everyone but Jessica, can’t lose her). This also has been discussed in a review in the Guardian.

It’s just weird that Ridley Scott, in a movie where accuracy actually makes more of a difference to the story, ignores enough science details to make an otherwise wonderful science movie become cringe-worthy every few minutes or so. I recently was working with a high school science teacher who said he had to walk out on the movie because the buildup of little mistakes became too great for him to tolerate. In general accuracy is more important in “near” sci-fi than in “far-in-the-future” sci-fi, and so matters more to the believability and integrity of the story in “The Martian” than in, for example, “Prometheus”. Maybe, but just maybe, with a little more attention to detail (i.e. maybe the level of detail one might have found if this were a movie about the French Revolution, for example), maybe “The Martian” wouldn’t have been nominated in the Best Musical or Comedy section of the Golden Globes. But this is only a hypothesis.

Despite all this grousing about details, The Martian is the most science positive blockbuster level movie from Hollywood in some time – and that alone is an important and significant accomplishment in my little opinion – just remember to squint through the parts that remind you of some of the answers you typically find on high school science tests – mostly well meaning, but not quite in tune with reality.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1PIrRLg

The Martian is a feel-good, science positive, uplifting film about the power of the human spirit, botany, and engineering. It looked, from the credits, like it had at least 8 scientific advisors from NASA (and possibly other places). Too bad that Ridley Scott only half listened to them. As one of the primary sci-fi filmmakers working today, it’s kind of amazing how a lot of the science in Ridley Scott’s films sort of leaves a chalky taste in the mouth. (Take a look at this link for a scathing review of the science in Prometheus).

It’s clear that The Martian is science-positive – the main character’s facility with everything from chemistry to botany to electrical engineering is quite inspiring, even though, this itself it is one of the not-quite-realistic elements of the movie (I am told that the book does a better job of making Mark’s broad spectrum of practical knowledge believable rather than seeming almost savant-like as in the movie).

So, spoilers ahead, what’s good, what’s bad in The Martian:

Good:
1) A botanist as the hero! A scientist as the hero! And a plot that involves explaining what Mark was doing as he was doing it (although never far from the surface).
2) The whole problem solving aesthetic of the movie really captures the science and engineering spirit beautifully.
3) “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this” – what a great line!

Please don’t get me wrong – the Martian, on the whole, is one of the most science positive, science-career-inspiring movies to hit theaters in a long time – it is a step in the right direction – a big step in the right direction. But it’s only another step on a road that stretches out a bit farther into the future.

Sloppy Movie Science:
1) The hurricane force dust storm on Mars has already been acknowledged by the author of the book, and widely discussed, as a scientific inaccuracy “necessary” to the plot. This is, in my opinion, just a little bit lazy plotting and a desire for some dramatic visuals. There are many other possible reasons that Mark might have been left on Mars that are more realistic, but maybe less dramatic.
2) Making water from hydrazine. Hmm…hydrazine is rather toxic. Mark doesn’t wear any protective gear while working with it. He probably would have killed himself before getting much water, especially working with it as depicted in the movie.
3) The ship itself seems a bit on the absurdly large side – lots of long, apparently empty cylindrical corridors to fly through at high speed in microgravity – looks neat, doesn’t really match the reality of the ISS or any other ship ever yet sent into space. It even makes the USS Enterprise look cramped. Similar giant ship silliness has been pointed out for Prometheus.
4) Jessica Chastain as the commander of the mission? Couldn’t they get Zooey Deschanel? Or Sarah Jessica Parker? Could this be an embedded hilarious joke by the director? Apparently whoever cast the film was not allowed to meet any real astronauts. Jessica Chastain is a wonderful actress, she is just not the right actress for this part –she exudes little or no confidence, clarity, competence, intelligence, control or inherent leadership qualities of any kind. I don’t believe I would feel very safe on a ship in her command. Check out Anamaria Marinca in Europa Report if you want to see how one should cast this part. Check out any armed forces commercial on television if you want to see more appropriate portrayals.
5) I hypothesize that upon seeing astronauts scampering and scooting, and hopping along the outside of the space ship WITHOUT ANY TETHERS, that all 8 NASA advisors probably felt faint and secretly wondered if it was too late to take their name off the credits but still cash their checks. This is only a hypothesis, of course.
6) Is there really no other way to slow the ship down other than blowing parts of it up? Well, okay, none that involve awesome explosions in space (complete with sound! Just like in Star Wars, but unlike in 2001 A Space Odyssey, where accuracy was a bit more in evidence).
7) There might be an average 12-13 minute communication delay between Mars and Earth, but the much longer communication delays between “what Mark was doing” and “when the people on Earth figured out what he was doing” was kind of painful to watch, and underscored how fortunate it was that Mark seemed to be a cross between Einstein, Tesla, and George Washington Carver.
8) Like the dust storm that starts the movie, the whole rescue scene is way over the top, even beyond the lack of astronaut tethers (for everyone but Jessica, can’t lose her). This also has been discussed in a review in the Guardian.

It’s just weird that Ridley Scott, in a movie where accuracy actually makes more of a difference to the story, ignores enough science details to make an otherwise wonderful science movie become cringe-worthy every few minutes or so. I recently was working with a high school science teacher who said he had to walk out on the movie because the buildup of little mistakes became too great for him to tolerate. In general accuracy is more important in “near” sci-fi than in “far-in-the-future” sci-fi, and so matters more to the believability and integrity of the story in “The Martian” than in, for example, “Prometheus”. Maybe, but just maybe, with a little more attention to detail (i.e. maybe the level of detail one might have found if this were a movie about the French Revolution, for example), maybe “The Martian” wouldn’t have been nominated in the Best Musical or Comedy section of the Golden Globes. But this is only a hypothesis.

Despite all this grousing about details, The Martian is the most science positive blockbuster level movie from Hollywood in some time – and that alone is an important and significant accomplishment in my little opinion – just remember to squint through the parts that remind you of some of the answers you typically find on high school science tests – mostly well meaning, but not quite in tune with reality.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1PIrRLg

Women’s History Month: Inspiration

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

The work our researchers do here at EPA is so inspiring! So in honor of Women’s History Month, I asked a few of them about who inspires them. Here’s what they said.

Some are inspired by well-known researchers or other women you may have already heard about.

Melanie Klein

I am inspired by Melanie Klein who created a therapeutic technique known as “play therapy”.  She continued to advance the theory and technique of psychoanalysis while coping with personal tragedies and depression throughout her life.  And, not having an official academic degree didn’t stop her passion in conducting research.
—Cecilia Tan, Research Physical Scientist

 

 

 

Jane Goodal

I have been inspired by many strong, vibrant women, all of whom share a passion for their work and for making the world a better place, no matter their field. These women include Maya Angelou, Rosalind Franklin, Jane Goodall, Sandra Day O’Connor, Frances Oldham Kelsey, Toni Morrison, and many, many more.
—Toby Schonfeld, Human Subjects Research Review Official

 

Mary Walton.  Mary was a pioneer in reducing air pollution during the Industrial Revolution.  In 1879, Mary patented a device that minimized the smoke that was pouring into the air. It was designed to deflect the emissions into water tanks. Later she would build a model train set to cut down on the clanging of the trolleys.  On February 8, 1891, after putting her invention under the struts that supported the city trains, she received a patent for her work. She gave the city some peace of mind by selling the rights of her patent to the New York City Metropolitan railroad.
—Stephanie Warhol, Program Analyst

 

Rachel Carson

 

No one person, however, the collective efforts of tireless conservationists such as Rachel Carson, Dian Fosse, and Jane Goodall were certainly inspirational.
—Janice Dye, Research Biologist

 

 

 

 

Marie Curie

Marie Curie. Her leadership and achievements at a time when women were not regarded in the scientific profession will always be inspirational.
–Samantha Jones, Toxicologist

 

 

 

 

Mary Anning

I’m inspired by people who follow what they love doing even if it goes against convention. In the early 19th Century, Mary Anning was a self-taught fossil hunter. She found and excavated ichthyosaur fossils, long-necked plesiosaurs, a pterodactyl, and hundreds of other fossils that helped scientists to draw a picture of the marine world 200 million to 140 million years ago during the Jurassic.
—Felicia Barnett, Environmental Engineer

 

 

Susan Solomon

 

I am inspired by Susan Solomon whose work played a role in understanding the ozone hole and role of CFCs.
—Havala Pye, Research Physical Scientist

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite authors is Barbara Kingsolver, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist by training who got her start writing for science journals. Her work is inspiring to me as she tells stories filled with themes of biodiversity, ecology, and an appreciation for the natural world.
–Megan Fleming, Biologist

Maria Mitchell

Maria Mitchell learned to observe the stars from her father, who taught his children to use a sextant and reflecting telescope. At 17, she had already begun her own school for girls, teaching them science and math. But Mitchell rocketed to the forefront of American astronomy in 1847 when she spotted a blurry streak—a comet—through her telescope. She was honored around the world, earning a medal from the king of Denmark, and became the first woman to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
—Diana Bless, Chemical Engineer

Maria Mitchell, who became world famous for discovering a new comet, because she was truly a pioneer: first female U.S. astronomer, first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science, and then to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, first professor at Vassar College, first internationally recognized female scientist.
—Valerie Zartarian, Environmental Engineer

 

 

Nancy Hopkins

There are loads of female scientists that inspire me. One that jumps to mind is Nancy Hopkins, a Professor Emeritus at MIT. Her career has spanned multiple fields and models. Dr. Hopkins applied her early experience with DNA and RNA viruses to create a strategy that, for the first time, enabled insertional mutagenesis in a vertebrate model. This forward genetic approach identified hundreds of genes that are developmentally required in zebrafish. She was also a strong mentor, launching the careers of an impressive number of trainees who have gone on to study the genetic underpinnings of development, behavior, and predisposition to cancer. I also admire Dr. Hopkins because she took risks. She changed fields many time throughout her career. She also walked out of Lawrence Summers infamous speech where he suggested that innate differences in the sexes might account for the lack of women in high-powered scientific positions. Based on her exceptional research record and history of advocating for women in science, I thought it was fitting to honor her here for Women’s History Month.
–Tamara Tal, Biologist

 

Some are inspired by family.

My mother.  Before she retired, she was a middle school science teacher, and shared her love of all things science with me.
—Nicolle Tulve, Research Physical Scientist

Rachelle Duvall with her nieces

 

 

 

I’m currently inspired by my “budding” scientists – my nieces! Their passion and excitement reminds me of why I wanted to be a scientist.
–Rachelle Duvall, Research Physical Scientist

 

 

 

My mother – who devoted her life to science education.
—Tina Bahadori, Exposure Scientist and National Program Director

 

Some are inspired by professors, teachers, or mentors they’ve had.

In undergrad at the University of Idaho, I had a female professor, Dr. Margrit von Braun, who was the chair of the committee that developed and implemented the Environmental Science Program, and also taught my hazardous waste assessment class. Not only was she a wonderful teacher, she was a great mentor and I ended up working with her for 2 year after I got my BS degree. She and her husband started a small consulting firm in Moscow, Idaho in 1984 to address environmental contamination and resulting human health problems in the Pacific Northwest. At the University of Idaho, she eventually made her way to Dean of the College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies. Since her retirement in 2013, she’s been working with international communities to mitigate environmental pollution. She is truly an inspiration!
—Lindsay Stanek, Physical Scientist

Mrs. Fink, my high school chemistry teacher is one of my heroes, as she got me interested in chemistry and started down the right career path. She got a big acknowledgement in my PhD thesis too!
—Elin Ulrich, Research Chemist

While working in EPA’s Science to Achieve Results grants program for several years, I have met many female scientists who inspire me. However, my post-doctoral adviser Barbara Finlayson-Pitts remains as one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. She is an incredibly intelligent scientist, who tackles atmospheric science questions with creativity using a wide variety of analytical techniques. She is always ready to share her knowledge or consider a problem, while emanating positive energy and enthusiasm in her love of science.
–Sherri Hunt, Physical Scientist

Dr. Linda Brubaker, a paleoecologist at the University of Washington, was my first teacher there and on my PhD committee.  She was the only woman in the College of Forestry for much of the time I was there, so she definitely inspired me.
–Jana Compton, Research Ecologist

 

And a lot are inspired by their EPA colleagues.

I’m inspired by the people I work with on a daily basis, both female and male. There are a lot of people within EPA dedicated to doing good science in support of protecting human health and the environment.
–Susan Burden, Physical Scientist

My female colleagues at EPA inspire me every day. My seasoned colleagues helped set environmental science and policy precedents that have and will continued to protect our environment. My mid-level peers have the benefit of learning from these women and continuing their legacy.
—Larke Williams, Environmental Engineer

I am inspired everyday by the female scientists that I work with, here in Cincinnati. They are some of the brightest and hard working women I have ever met, and they make me want to be a better researcher.
—Jill Hoelle, Biological Science Lab Tech

I’ve had a number of wonderful female mentors at EPA – it’s hard to pick just one.  I was lucky to start my career working for Dr. Alice Stark of the New York State Health Department, who worked in Region 5 for a brief period.  Alice was the epidemiologist for the Superfund site at Love Canal and her dedication to public service, science and science communication has influenced me throughout my career.
—Carole Braverman, Regional Science Liaison

One of my peers at EPA inspires me every day – Kelly Witter, an environmental engineer, has devoted her career to educational outreach in our surrounding community.  She is an amazing force for science and inspiring the next generation!
—Gayle Hagler, Environmental Engineer

And EPA engineer Robyn Conmy, who is inspired by her family and a love of the ocean, is featured in this video.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=bYfYjZ0rFvw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>< About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1pOjRTT

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

The work our researchers do here at EPA is so inspiring! So in honor of Women’s History Month, I asked a few of them about who inspires them. Here’s what they said.

Some are inspired by well-known researchers or other women you may have already heard about.

Melanie Klein

I am inspired by Melanie Klein who created a therapeutic technique known as “play therapy”.  She continued to advance the theory and technique of psychoanalysis while coping with personal tragedies and depression throughout her life.  And, not having an official academic degree didn’t stop her passion in conducting research.
—Cecilia Tan, Research Physical Scientist

 

 

 

Jane Goodal

I have been inspired by many strong, vibrant women, all of whom share a passion for their work and for making the world a better place, no matter their field. These women include Maya Angelou, Rosalind Franklin, Jane Goodall, Sandra Day O’Connor, Frances Oldham Kelsey, Toni Morrison, and many, many more.
—Toby Schonfeld, Human Subjects Research Review Official

 

Mary Walton.  Mary was a pioneer in reducing air pollution during the Industrial Revolution.  In 1879, Mary patented a device that minimized the smoke that was pouring into the air. It was designed to deflect the emissions into water tanks. Later she would build a model train set to cut down on the clanging of the trolleys.  On February 8, 1891, after putting her invention under the struts that supported the city trains, she received a patent for her work. She gave the city some peace of mind by selling the rights of her patent to the New York City Metropolitan railroad.
—Stephanie Warhol, Program Analyst

 

Rachel Carson

 

No one person, however, the collective efforts of tireless conservationists such as Rachel Carson, Dian Fosse, and Jane Goodall were certainly inspirational.
—Janice Dye, Research Biologist

 

 

 

 

Marie Curie

Marie Curie. Her leadership and achievements at a time when women were not regarded in the scientific profession will always be inspirational.
–Samantha Jones, Toxicologist

 

 

 

 

Mary Anning

I’m inspired by people who follow what they love doing even if it goes against convention. In the early 19th Century, Mary Anning was a self-taught fossil hunter. She found and excavated ichthyosaur fossils, long-necked plesiosaurs, a pterodactyl, and hundreds of other fossils that helped scientists to draw a picture of the marine world 200 million to 140 million years ago during the Jurassic.
—Felicia Barnett, Environmental Engineer

 

 

Susan Solomon

 

I am inspired by Susan Solomon whose work played a role in understanding the ozone hole and role of CFCs.
—Havala Pye, Research Physical Scientist

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite authors is Barbara Kingsolver, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist by training who got her start writing for science journals. Her work is inspiring to me as she tells stories filled with themes of biodiversity, ecology, and an appreciation for the natural world.
–Megan Fleming, Biologist

Maria Mitchell

Maria Mitchell learned to observe the stars from her father, who taught his children to use a sextant and reflecting telescope. At 17, she had already begun her own school for girls, teaching them science and math. But Mitchell rocketed to the forefront of American astronomy in 1847 when she spotted a blurry streak—a comet—through her telescope. She was honored around the world, earning a medal from the king of Denmark, and became the first woman to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
—Diana Bless, Chemical Engineer

Maria Mitchell, who became world famous for discovering a new comet, because she was truly a pioneer: first female U.S. astronomer, first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science, and then to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, first professor at Vassar College, first internationally recognized female scientist.
—Valerie Zartarian, Environmental Engineer

 

 

Nancy Hopkins

There are loads of female scientists that inspire me. One that jumps to mind is Nancy Hopkins, a Professor Emeritus at MIT. Her career has spanned multiple fields and models. Dr. Hopkins applied her early experience with DNA and RNA viruses to create a strategy that, for the first time, enabled insertional mutagenesis in a vertebrate model. This forward genetic approach identified hundreds of genes that are developmentally required in zebrafish. She was also a strong mentor, launching the careers of an impressive number of trainees who have gone on to study the genetic underpinnings of development, behavior, and predisposition to cancer. I also admire Dr. Hopkins because she took risks. She changed fields many time throughout her career. She also walked out of Lawrence Summers infamous speech where he suggested that innate differences in the sexes might account for the lack of women in high-powered scientific positions. Based on her exceptional research record and history of advocating for women in science, I thought it was fitting to honor her here for Women’s History Month.
–Tamara Tal, Biologist

 

Some are inspired by family.

My mother.  Before she retired, she was a middle school science teacher, and shared her love of all things science with me.
—Nicolle Tulve, Research Physical Scientist

Rachelle Duvall with her nieces

 

 

 

I’m currently inspired by my “budding” scientists – my nieces! Their passion and excitement reminds me of why I wanted to be a scientist.
–Rachelle Duvall, Research Physical Scientist

 

 

 

My mother – who devoted her life to science education.
—Tina Bahadori, Exposure Scientist and National Program Director

 

Some are inspired by professors, teachers, or mentors they’ve had.

In undergrad at the University of Idaho, I had a female professor, Dr. Margrit von Braun, who was the chair of the committee that developed and implemented the Environmental Science Program, and also taught my hazardous waste assessment class. Not only was she a wonderful teacher, she was a great mentor and I ended up working with her for 2 year after I got my BS degree. She and her husband started a small consulting firm in Moscow, Idaho in 1984 to address environmental contamination and resulting human health problems in the Pacific Northwest. At the University of Idaho, she eventually made her way to Dean of the College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies. Since her retirement in 2013, she’s been working with international communities to mitigate environmental pollution. She is truly an inspiration!
—Lindsay Stanek, Physical Scientist

Mrs. Fink, my high school chemistry teacher is one of my heroes, as she got me interested in chemistry and started down the right career path. She got a big acknowledgement in my PhD thesis too!
—Elin Ulrich, Research Chemist

While working in EPA’s Science to Achieve Results grants program for several years, I have met many female scientists who inspire me. However, my post-doctoral adviser Barbara Finlayson-Pitts remains as one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. She is an incredibly intelligent scientist, who tackles atmospheric science questions with creativity using a wide variety of analytical techniques. She is always ready to share her knowledge or consider a problem, while emanating positive energy and enthusiasm in her love of science.
–Sherri Hunt, Physical Scientist

Dr. Linda Brubaker, a paleoecologist at the University of Washington, was my first teacher there and on my PhD committee.  She was the only woman in the College of Forestry for much of the time I was there, so she definitely inspired me.
–Jana Compton, Research Ecologist

 

And a lot are inspired by their EPA colleagues.

I’m inspired by the people I work with on a daily basis, both female and male. There are a lot of people within EPA dedicated to doing good science in support of protecting human health and the environment.
–Susan Burden, Physical Scientist

My female colleagues at EPA inspire me every day. My seasoned colleagues helped set environmental science and policy precedents that have and will continued to protect our environment. My mid-level peers have the benefit of learning from these women and continuing their legacy.
—Larke Williams, Environmental Engineer

I am inspired everyday by the female scientists that I work with, here in Cincinnati. They are some of the brightest and hard working women I have ever met, and they make me want to be a better researcher.
—Jill Hoelle, Biological Science Lab Tech

I’ve had a number of wonderful female mentors at EPA – it’s hard to pick just one.  I was lucky to start my career working for Dr. Alice Stark of the New York State Health Department, who worked in Region 5 for a brief period.  Alice was the epidemiologist for the Superfund site at Love Canal and her dedication to public service, science and science communication has influenced me throughout my career.
—Carole Braverman, Regional Science Liaison

One of my peers at EPA inspires me every day – Kelly Witter, an environmental engineer, has devoted her career to educational outreach in our surrounding community.  She is an amazing force for science and inspiring the next generation!
—Gayle Hagler, Environmental Engineer

And EPA engineer Robyn Conmy, who is inspired by her family and a love of the ocean, is featured in this video.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=bYfYjZ0rFvw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>< About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1pOjRTT

A nearby, infant star teaches us how planets begin to form (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“TW Hydrae is quite special. It is the nearest known protoplanetary disc to Earth and it may closely resemble the Solar System when it was only 10 million years old.” -David Wilner

For hundreds of years since the realization that Earth and the other planets orbited the Sun, humanity had only hypotheses about how planets formed around stars. The consensus was that gas clouds collapsed along one direction first, forming a disk, which then rotated and formed instabilities, leading to the development of planetary systems.

Image credit: Mark McCughrean (Max-Planck–Inst. Astron.); C. Robert O’Dell (Rice Univ.); NASA, of protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula, some ~1300 light years away.

Thanks to data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array, we’ve successfully imaged the very closest protoplanetary disk to us: TW Hydrae, at just 175 light years away, and it’s not only face-on to us, containing gas giants farther out, but likely at least one planet in the innermost ~1 A.U. of its solar system.

Image credit: S. Andrews (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA); B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), of the protoplanetary disk around TW Hydrae. Annotations by E. Siegel.

Go get the full story, and find what the frontiers of our knowledge are, over on Forbes!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1UX5r0M

“TW Hydrae is quite special. It is the nearest known protoplanetary disc to Earth and it may closely resemble the Solar System when it was only 10 million years old.” -David Wilner

For hundreds of years since the realization that Earth and the other planets orbited the Sun, humanity had only hypotheses about how planets formed around stars. The consensus was that gas clouds collapsed along one direction first, forming a disk, which then rotated and formed instabilities, leading to the development of planetary systems.

Image credit: Mark McCughrean (Max-Planck–Inst. Astron.); C. Robert O’Dell (Rice Univ.); NASA, of protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula, some ~1300 light years away.

Thanks to data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array, we’ve successfully imaged the very closest protoplanetary disk to us: TW Hydrae, at just 175 light years away, and it’s not only face-on to us, containing gas giants farther out, but likely at least one planet in the innermost ~1 A.U. of its solar system.

Image credit: S. Andrews (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA); B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), of the protoplanetary disk around TW Hydrae. Annotations by E. Siegel.

Go get the full story, and find what the frontiers of our knowledge are, over on Forbes!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1UX5r0M

You too can be a scientist!

By Jeri Weiss

Each fall when I was a kid, my family would throw on hiking boots, pack a lunch and a thermos of hot chocolate and drive about 45 minutes to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, Penn. There, we would take a short hike up the mountain, find a rocky outcrop to sit on and join the other birders – waiting, watching and counting the raptors in migration.

It never occurred to me that many years later I would be encouraging others to join the ranks of citizen scientists to help protect our planet. In fact, it never occurred to me that the 11-year-old me was a citizen scientist until this year when I started organizing a workshop in Brattleboro, Vermont for citizen scientists.

“Citizen Scientists Making a World of Difference” will be held Saturday morning April 9 in Brattleboro, and is open to anyone who wants to learn more about how to be a citizen scientist.

There are so many ways to participate in research no matter where you live. Whether your passion is watching hawks, catching butterflies, chasing bugs, or even taking photographs, you can contribute to our understanding of the world.

The workshop, from 9:30 am to Noon at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden at 157 Main St. in Brattleboro, will feature more than a dozen organizations, offering people ways to help protect the water, the land, identify critters and plants in the woods and along the river banks.

The options range from helping salamanders cross the street and checking water temperature to photographing insects, birds or plants and entering the information into your smartphone. While you are there you’ll meet like-minded neighbors who are also looking to get involved. And you will learn how even the smallest contributions make a big difference, whether you have a single hour, or a few hours every week.

Citizen scientists can be 8 or 88 – there are projects for everyone. In addition to information on what you can do in the field, the morning will offer hands-on activities. A water table will simulate what happens when a river is flooded, and what people can do – then and there – to make a difference. You can build a seed bomb to take away with you and use it to help stabilize stream banks that have been eroded by floods like Irene.

This workshop was organized by a committee of staff from Vermont Watershed Management Division; Town of Brattleboro; the Southeast Vermont Watershed Alliance; the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center; and Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District, as well as EPA New England. They all have something to share. You can find out more about the event here http://ift.tt/1UWVMar

And if you want to find out more about Hawk Mountain and join their raptors count, or see the bird count when I was there in 1971, click here.

http://ift.tt/1fx5kDm

Jeri Weiss is a drinking water specialist at EPA and helped organize the Citizens Science Workshop.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1pO6W4c

By Jeri Weiss

Each fall when I was a kid, my family would throw on hiking boots, pack a lunch and a thermos of hot chocolate and drive about 45 minutes to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, Penn. There, we would take a short hike up the mountain, find a rocky outcrop to sit on and join the other birders – waiting, watching and counting the raptors in migration.

It never occurred to me that many years later I would be encouraging others to join the ranks of citizen scientists to help protect our planet. In fact, it never occurred to me that the 11-year-old me was a citizen scientist until this year when I started organizing a workshop in Brattleboro, Vermont for citizen scientists.

“Citizen Scientists Making a World of Difference” will be held Saturday morning April 9 in Brattleboro, and is open to anyone who wants to learn more about how to be a citizen scientist.

There are so many ways to participate in research no matter where you live. Whether your passion is watching hawks, catching butterflies, chasing bugs, or even taking photographs, you can contribute to our understanding of the world.

The workshop, from 9:30 am to Noon at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden at 157 Main St. in Brattleboro, will feature more than a dozen organizations, offering people ways to help protect the water, the land, identify critters and plants in the woods and along the river banks.

The options range from helping salamanders cross the street and checking water temperature to photographing insects, birds or plants and entering the information into your smartphone. While you are there you’ll meet like-minded neighbors who are also looking to get involved. And you will learn how even the smallest contributions make a big difference, whether you have a single hour, or a few hours every week.

Citizen scientists can be 8 or 88 – there are projects for everyone. In addition to information on what you can do in the field, the morning will offer hands-on activities. A water table will simulate what happens when a river is flooded, and what people can do – then and there – to make a difference. You can build a seed bomb to take away with you and use it to help stabilize stream banks that have been eroded by floods like Irene.

This workshop was organized by a committee of staff from Vermont Watershed Management Division; Town of Brattleboro; the Southeast Vermont Watershed Alliance; the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center; and Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District, as well as EPA New England. They all have something to share. You can find out more about the event here http://ift.tt/1UWVMar

And if you want to find out more about Hawk Mountain and join their raptors count, or see the bird count when I was there in 1971, click here.

http://ift.tt/1fx5kDm

Jeri Weiss is a drinking water specialist at EPA and helped organize the Citizens Science Workshop.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1pO6W4c

Heat stress in livestock [Life Lines]

Photo by: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons

With the approach of summer, a timely study was published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology on whether inflammation plays a role in heat stress-related complications in muscles. Heat stress is a major problem in the livestock industry. In the United States alone it is reportedly associated with a loss of approximately $158 billion annually in the swine industry. To cool off, swine seek shade and often mud baths (which mimic sweating by helping the animals cool off through evaporation). Despite well-known complications associated with heat stress, like stroke, the effects in skeletal muscle are less understood. The research team exposed swine to either 75.2 degrees F (24degC) or 98.6 degrees F (37degC) for 12 hours. What they found was increased inflammation in skeletal muscles from heat-stressed animals.

Thus strategies to help keep animals and humans cool are clearly important in hot weather.

References
S Ganesan, C Reynolds, K Hollinger, SC Pearce, NK Gabler, LH Baumgard, RP Rhoads, JT Selsby. Twelve hours of heat stress induces inflammatory signaling in porcine skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00494.2015

http://ift.tt/1JQMsuu

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1RsgNr4

Photo by: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons

With the approach of summer, a timely study was published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology on whether inflammation plays a role in heat stress-related complications in muscles. Heat stress is a major problem in the livestock industry. In the United States alone it is reportedly associated with a loss of approximately $158 billion annually in the swine industry. To cool off, swine seek shade and often mud baths (which mimic sweating by helping the animals cool off through evaporation). Despite well-known complications associated with heat stress, like stroke, the effects in skeletal muscle are less understood. The research team exposed swine to either 75.2 degrees F (24degC) or 98.6 degrees F (37degC) for 12 hours. What they found was increased inflammation in skeletal muscles from heat-stressed animals.

Thus strategies to help keep animals and humans cool are clearly important in hot weather.

References
S Ganesan, C Reynolds, K Hollinger, SC Pearce, NK Gabler, LH Baumgard, RP Rhoads, JT Selsby. Twelve hours of heat stress induces inflammatory signaling in porcine skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00494.2015

http://ift.tt/1JQMsuu

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1RsgNr4

Don’t forget to vote! [Life Lines]

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Phantastic Physiology Voyage video from trainees sponsored by the American Physiological Society. This year’s theme is “Function Follows Form.”

Here is just a sample of the phantastic videos (from YouTube) in the contest:

To see the rest of the videos and vote for your favorite, click here!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1UWO8wT

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Phantastic Physiology Voyage video from trainees sponsored by the American Physiological Society. This year’s theme is “Function Follows Form.”

Here is just a sample of the phantastic videos (from YouTube) in the contest:

To see the rest of the videos and vote for your favorite, click here!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1UWO8wT

Scalable Ideas: Small organizations tackling big problems

Author: Jerome Shabazz

About the Author: Jerome Shabazz is the founder and Executive Director of JASTECH Development Services, Inc., and the Overbrook Environmental Education Center. Under his leadership, the Overbrook Center has trained thousands of students on the Clean Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Urban Stormwater Management and other subjects that reduce exposures to toxic substances at home and school. Jerome has over twenty years of training and development experience and has a Master’s of Science Degree in Environmental Protection & Safety Management from St. Joseph’s University.

All across the nation, small environmental justice organizations are challenged with “scaling-up” –taking ingenuity and initiative to address larger concerns in spite of our small size – in order to address widespread environmental issues in our communities. And that’s what our organization in Philadelphia, Juveniles Active in Science & Technology, or JASTECH Development Services, Inc., has been all about: developing innovative and collaborative solutions for improving the built and natural environments of our city.

In 2002, JASTECH applied for and received an EPA Clean Water Act grant to transform a former brownfields site into the Overbrook Environmental Education Center (OEEC). We built the OEEC to empower students to learn both in the academic context and as participants in community reform. Since its inception, the OEEC used sustainable strategies that “do more with less,” by developing dynamic solutions to overcome obstacles typically associated with organizations who have limited resources and small staffs.

In 2014, during a visit to the OEEC, EPA’s Inspector General Arthur Elkins, Jr., remarked how impressed he was with the Center. During a conversation about how our small, nimble non-profit needed support to help our ideas grow bigger through partnerships, Mr. Elkins suggested that we call our concept “scalable ideas.” Since then, this has described our approach to developing collaborative partnerships that deconstruct large community-wide problems into manageable tasks.

OEEC students doing a field inspection of a rain garden

The OEEC puts this in action with what we describe as the “3A” approach: Awareness + Assessment + Application. Awareness being the education of, and relationship to the issues; Assessment is taking inventory of community partners, inputs and resources; and Applications are sustainable solution-based remedies. An example where the OEEC put these “scalable ideas” into action is through educating the public on Philadelphia’s combined sewer overflow problems. The OEEC worked collaboratively to build a 15-week green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) training program for local youth. Chevelle Harrison, Philadelphia Water’s Director of Student Engagement said, “GSI teaches students that their actions have a direct impact on the environment.”

The GSI program is a robust partnership based on Philadelphia Water’s Green City and Clean Waters plan and included the US Forest Service, Penn State Center Engaging Philadelphia, PA Department of Environmental Education, AKRF Engineering and others.

Through the program, students from Philadelphia high schools conceptualize solutions that reduce strain on the city’s combined sewer system. The students are charged with learning “the power of small” – deconstructing the complicated concepts of pollution from sewer overflows into a series of achievable best management practices that can be realized on a neighborhood level.

Prototype for Curtis’ fish farm and vertical plant growing system that utilizes rain water as supplemental “make-up” for water that’s lost through transpiration.

Before taking part in the GSI program, high student Ayanna T. never thought much about stormwater and how it affected the city around her.  “I just thought about the sewer, to be honest,” Ayanna said. “I didn’t know there were other ways you could save [stormwater] and use it.” Now, Ayanna can easily list innovative approaches to green stormwater management, and she ticks off three: “bioswales, tree trenches and pervious pavement.” Devan Curtis, a participant in the GSI program, was challenged with finding ways to redirect and reuse rainwater before it runs off into the stormwater collector system. Curtis, who is currently studying civil engineering at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has spearheaded the development of an aquaponics system that is now in the works.

All too often, we hear about how bigger is better. However, we are inspired by the people in our community who demonstrate that when you think creatively, small ideas can conquer big problems. Whether it’s our students, a citizen scientist, activists, concerned parents, or any of the other “army-of-ones” who inspire big changes with “scalable ideas,” one remedy at a time…we all benefit from their contributions.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1RNnAYd

Author: Jerome Shabazz

About the Author: Jerome Shabazz is the founder and Executive Director of JASTECH Development Services, Inc., and the Overbrook Environmental Education Center. Under his leadership, the Overbrook Center has trained thousands of students on the Clean Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Urban Stormwater Management and other subjects that reduce exposures to toxic substances at home and school. Jerome has over twenty years of training and development experience and has a Master’s of Science Degree in Environmental Protection & Safety Management from St. Joseph’s University.

All across the nation, small environmental justice organizations are challenged with “scaling-up” –taking ingenuity and initiative to address larger concerns in spite of our small size – in order to address widespread environmental issues in our communities. And that’s what our organization in Philadelphia, Juveniles Active in Science & Technology, or JASTECH Development Services, Inc., has been all about: developing innovative and collaborative solutions for improving the built and natural environments of our city.

In 2002, JASTECH applied for and received an EPA Clean Water Act grant to transform a former brownfields site into the Overbrook Environmental Education Center (OEEC). We built the OEEC to empower students to learn both in the academic context and as participants in community reform. Since its inception, the OEEC used sustainable strategies that “do more with less,” by developing dynamic solutions to overcome obstacles typically associated with organizations who have limited resources and small staffs.

In 2014, during a visit to the OEEC, EPA’s Inspector General Arthur Elkins, Jr., remarked how impressed he was with the Center. During a conversation about how our small, nimble non-profit needed support to help our ideas grow bigger through partnerships, Mr. Elkins suggested that we call our concept “scalable ideas.” Since then, this has described our approach to developing collaborative partnerships that deconstruct large community-wide problems into manageable tasks.

OEEC students doing a field inspection of a rain garden

The OEEC puts this in action with what we describe as the “3A” approach: Awareness + Assessment + Application. Awareness being the education of, and relationship to the issues; Assessment is taking inventory of community partners, inputs and resources; and Applications are sustainable solution-based remedies. An example where the OEEC put these “scalable ideas” into action is through educating the public on Philadelphia’s combined sewer overflow problems. The OEEC worked collaboratively to build a 15-week green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) training program for local youth. Chevelle Harrison, Philadelphia Water’s Director of Student Engagement said, “GSI teaches students that their actions have a direct impact on the environment.”

The GSI program is a robust partnership based on Philadelphia Water’s Green City and Clean Waters plan and included the US Forest Service, Penn State Center Engaging Philadelphia, PA Department of Environmental Education, AKRF Engineering and others.

Through the program, students from Philadelphia high schools conceptualize solutions that reduce strain on the city’s combined sewer system. The students are charged with learning “the power of small” – deconstructing the complicated concepts of pollution from sewer overflows into a series of achievable best management practices that can be realized on a neighborhood level.

Prototype for Curtis’ fish farm and vertical plant growing system that utilizes rain water as supplemental “make-up” for water that’s lost through transpiration.

Before taking part in the GSI program, high student Ayanna T. never thought much about stormwater and how it affected the city around her.  “I just thought about the sewer, to be honest,” Ayanna said. “I didn’t know there were other ways you could save [stormwater] and use it.” Now, Ayanna can easily list innovative approaches to green stormwater management, and she ticks off three: “bioswales, tree trenches and pervious pavement.” Devan Curtis, a participant in the GSI program, was challenged with finding ways to redirect and reuse rainwater before it runs off into the stormwater collector system. Curtis, who is currently studying civil engineering at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has spearheaded the development of an aquaponics system that is now in the works.

All too often, we hear about how bigger is better. However, we are inspired by the people in our community who demonstrate that when you think creatively, small ideas can conquer big problems. Whether it’s our students, a citizen scientist, activists, concerned parents, or any of the other “army-of-ones” who inspire big changes with “scalable ideas,” one remedy at a time…we all benefit from their contributions.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1RNnAYd

Green Streets: A Road to Clean Water

by Tom Damm

As seen from my cubicle, the project is nearing completion.

The busy backhoe operating outside my cubicle window in Center City Philadelphia offers the latest and, for me, the loudest evidence of the work communities are doing to turn their main streets into more absorbent green streets.

In this case, the far sidewalk along the signature Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16^th to 19^th streets near City Hall is getting churned up as the Philadelphia Water Department makes room for a greener walkway with a system to capture stormwater in a series of underground storage and infiltration trenches.

When completed, rain from a storm will flow into a “green inlet” that leads to the underground trenches and either infiltrate through the natural subsoil or be stored and then released back slowly into the sewer system.  The trenches will help prevent the combined sewage/stormwater system from getting inundated and spilling its contents into local waters.

Green streets are catching on in the mid-Atlantic region as a way to alleviate flooding, prevent sewer overflows and give an economic and aesthetic lift to downtown blocks.

EPA and its state and non-profit partners are helping to create green streets in big cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and the District of Columbia, and smaller communities like the port towns along the Anacostia River.

The Borough of Etna, just outside Pittsburgh, last week earned a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its Green Streetscape Initiative.  That project, supported with EPA funds, is transforming the borough’s flood-prone downtown with green techniques to intercept runoff from rooftops and paved surfaces.  The borough manager says she no longer introduces herself at meetings as Mary Ellen from “Wetna.”

Other communities are tapping into the novel Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) program – an EPA partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, supported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.  In its first five years, the G3 program has provided more than $6 million and leveraged an equal amount in matching funds for green street design, construction and research.

Check out this new EPA video highlighting a few of the existing green streets projects and the people behind them.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1TkONHe

by Tom Damm

As seen from my cubicle, the project is nearing completion.

The busy backhoe operating outside my cubicle window in Center City Philadelphia offers the latest and, for me, the loudest evidence of the work communities are doing to turn their main streets into more absorbent green streets.

In this case, the far sidewalk along the signature Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16^th to 19^th streets near City Hall is getting churned up as the Philadelphia Water Department makes room for a greener walkway with a system to capture stormwater in a series of underground storage and infiltration trenches.

When completed, rain from a storm will flow into a “green inlet” that leads to the underground trenches and either infiltrate through the natural subsoil or be stored and then released back slowly into the sewer system.  The trenches will help prevent the combined sewage/stormwater system from getting inundated and spilling its contents into local waters.

Green streets are catching on in the mid-Atlantic region as a way to alleviate flooding, prevent sewer overflows and give an economic and aesthetic lift to downtown blocks.

EPA and its state and non-profit partners are helping to create green streets in big cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and the District of Columbia, and smaller communities like the port towns along the Anacostia River.

The Borough of Etna, just outside Pittsburgh, last week earned a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its Green Streetscape Initiative.  That project, supported with EPA funds, is transforming the borough’s flood-prone downtown with green techniques to intercept runoff from rooftops and paved surfaces.  The borough manager says she no longer introduces herself at meetings as Mary Ellen from “Wetna.”

Other communities are tapping into the novel Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) program – an EPA partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, supported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.  In its first five years, the G3 program has provided more than $6 million and leveraged an equal amount in matching funds for green street design, construction and research.

Check out this new EPA video highlighting a few of the existing green streets projects and the people behind them.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1TkONHe

Cancer patients do not need or want suggestions for alternative cancer cures [Respectful Insolence]

Over the last week or so, I’ve noticed (or had brought to my attention) a series of articles discussing a phenomenon related to alternative medicine that I don’t believe that I’ve addressed before, at least not directly anyway. I had filed some of these in my folder of topics for blogging, but somehow never got around to them because I let so much time and blog verbiage be dominated by a discussion of how Andrew Wakefield infiltrated the Tribeca Film Festival, only to see Robert De Niro reverse his decision a few days later and yank his film from the festival, after a brief attempt to defend the choice. Then, of course, I couldn’t resist having some fun with the conspiracy theories that flowed afterward. And, before I get into the heavy stuff, I can’t help but mention a little comic relieve, mainly that Wakefield’s film Vaxxed will be showing at the Angelika Film Center opening tomorrow, April Fools Day.

That diversion aside, yesterday as I contemplated what to blog about it I saw that Steve Novella had written about the very phenomenon I had planned to write about and almost thought I had blown my opportunity. Far be it from me, however, to let a little thing like that stop me, particularly when the topic is one that I don’t recall having directly addressed before and relevant to cancer patients and alternative medicine. I’m referring, of course, to the tendency for well-meaning people, many of whom are often woo-friendly, recommending all sorts of remedies to patients suffering from serious, even terminal illnesses.

The article that brought my attention to this was an advice column, Ask Amy: How do I keep people from offering alternative ‘cures’ for my husband’s advanced cancer? A woman who bills herself as “Upset” (as well she should be) describes her husband being diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, failing two chemotherapy regimens, and facing a dismal prognosis of being unlikely to survive more than a year from his diagnosis, which, given that he had already undergone two courses of chemotherapy, would only be months. If you’ve ever had a close family member in this situation (or if you yourself are facing a serious or even terminal, illness yourself), see if you recognize this situation:

People we hardly know come up to us and tell us how various alternative medicine approaches (multiple herbs, specific diets, etc.) “cured” their loved ones and/or tell us how their neighbor, co-worker or friend has survived five, eight or 10 years or even that “they can cure cancer now.”

And:

I have tried to simply say “that’s interesting” to suggestions of alternative therapies and “how fortunate for him or her” to the others but, unfortunately, these people want to continue telling us what we should be doing or insisting that my husband can live a long time.

Because I see on a daily basis the deterioration in my husband’s condition, I find these comments and unsolicited advice extremely distressing.

In an attempt to end one of these unsolicited conversations, I told someone that they did not seem to know much about pancreatic cancer and walked away from them. I was later told that I was being rude. Can you suggest a polite way to shut these people up so they do not add to my stress and grief?

First, of course, it is not Upset who is being rude. It is these well-meaning believers in various forms of quackery who insist on continuing to make their suggestions, even though Upset has made it clear that they are upsetting, not helping, her. At the same time, they are acting out of what they perceive to be good intentions, a motivation to help and, in helping, to potentially save a life. After all, if you really believe that a treatment you know about can cure advanced cancer and you have a friend or acquaintance dying of cancer or who has a loved one dying of cancer, wouldn’t you feel obligated to tell that person about it and try to convince the ailing person to try it? When you look at it that way, there really is a problem in dealing with such people if you happen to have a loved one with cancer, the most common precipitating illness for such misguided attempts to help, or another life-threatening disease.

Unfortunately, people like this make their suggestions so based on misinformation. Usually this misinformation is based on anecdotes about which they have incomplete information or that represent misinterpretations of what really happened of the sort that I’ve deconconstructed more times than I can remember on this blog and, when critically analyzed, don’t actually show that the alternative treatment cured the cancer.

Amy’s advice was reasonable. Pointing out that Upset should remember that these people’s motives were good, she also suggested:

But please — do not engage in these conversations about miracle cures, even to the extent of pretending to listen. Look the person in the eye, say, “I think you’re trying to help, but this conversation is making things much harder for me, so please — let’s stop now.”

This is about as good an option as there is, or perhaps I should say this is probably the least bad option.

A couple of days later, Steven W. Thrasher hit the same notes in more detail in an op-ed published in The Guardian. Thrasher lays it on the line immediately from the very first sentence:

If you’re a religious person, for the love of God, don’t tell someone with cancer that if they’d just drink juice (or take vitamins, or pray or have a “positive attitude”) that they could cure themselves.

And if you’re not a religious person, for the love of reason and decency, don’t tell someone with cancer any of these things, either.

The motivation for this article was the second anniversary of his sister’s death, who suffered from a rare sarcoma for 15 years before finally succumbing two years ago. Thrasher nails something about alternative medicine in general, and alternative cancer cures in particular, that I’ve been emphasizing for a long time, having written about it as recently as last week. I’m referring to the mentality that implies that all cancer is curable, if only the patient would only do the “right” things, pursue the “right” natural treatments, and have the “right” positive attitude. As I’ve discussed before many times, this attitude is very much like The Secret, the New Age mystical belief system that claims that you can have anything you want if you only want it enough and have a positive attitude. Basically, at the heart of The Secret is an idea known as the Law of Attraction, which states that you attract from the universe what you think about and desire, or, as one Secret maven put it, “Thoughts become things.” In other words, your mental attitudes draw people and things of like intention.

While this is trivially true in one way that has nothing to do with the mysticism of the “universe” sending you things because you want them and/or have a positive attitude, it also has a dark side. That dark side is the flip side of the message of attracting good things to yourself with desire and a positive attitude. Specifically, that flip side implies that if you don’t have good things or are sick that you’ve somehow brought it on yourself through your desires and “negative” attitude. In the case of disease, this has particularly pernicious consequences. While on the surface it might seem “empowering” to believe that you have the power to cure disease and make yourself healthy, that dark flip side to “Secret”-like thinking is that if you are still dying of cancer you brought it on yourself and/or just don’t want to be cured badly enough. It’s just as I said last week. When alternative cancer cures don’t work, it’s always the patient’s fault for not having done it correctly or not having tried hard enough.

This is basically what Thrasher describes:

Over the years, it was painful for me to see people tell my sister (and me) that she could just cure herself if she really wanted to. Didn’t she know that if she just drank lemon juice every day she could wipe out her cancer cells? That if she’d just watch that Netflix documentary The Gerson Miracle she’d be OK? That if she were only willing to take vitamins, or eat raw food, or do yoga or look on the bright side of things, her illness would go away?

It’s The Secret in action, and patients suffering from cancer and their loved ones hate it—for good reason. In fact, Thrasher goes beyond that and characterizes such offers as “act of violence every time someone suggests a simplistic, unproven and fantastic cure for another’s cancer.” I’m not sure I’d go that far, but then I haven’t experienced what Thrasher has experienced. True, my mother-in-law died a horrible death of breast cancer seven years ago, but I heard very few offers of alternative medicine cancer cures. Perhaps that’s one advantage of being known among your friends for writing a blog like this. I don’t know, however, how many suggestions of such “cures” my mother-in-law endured before the end.

Thrasher lists three reasons why he thinks these offers are acts of “violence.” Reason one:

First, it’s condescending. If lemon juice really cured cancer, don’t you think we’d all be dancing around citrus trees? That lemonade would be traded on Wall Street and hedge funds would be peddling lemon-flavored credit default swaps? More importantly, when someone has had cancer for months or years – maybe living through hours of doctor appointments, days in hospitals and months in bed – don’t you think they’ve had time to consider every possible option with the seriousness their own mortality deserves?

I frequently point out to the conspiracy theorists who think that “they” are keeping “natural cures” for cancer from you in order to make money that we who take care of cancer patients would be overjoyed if someone could demonstrate that lemon juice (or something else as simple) cured cancer. I also point out how impossible such a conspiracy would be to keep secret given how common cancer is and how pretty much everyone who lives long enough will witness a loved one die of cancer. Do such idiots really think that, if we knew of a cure, we’d keep it from our family members and friends? Then, once out, the cure would be everywhere. Basically, no group as large as scientists, physicians, and the pharmaceutical company could keep such a thing secret for very long. It’s utter nonsense to imply otherwise.

Reason number two is one manifestation of The Secret:

Second, it could be argued that people giving advice are just trying to “do something” and kindly offer help. But I reject this: if you want to do something to help someone in distress, as George Carlin famously riffed, unplug their clogged toilet or paint the garage. Don’t tell a sick or injured person what they should do, because it’s a sneaky and harmful way of dealing with your own fear of death. You’re saying, tsk tsk – I wouldn’t let this happen to me the way you’ve let it happen to you.

Exactly. Reason number three is a variation on the same theme:

Finally, giving advice to people with cancer blames the sick person for your discomfort with their reality and shifts any accountability you feel back on to them. As the authors Barbara Ehrenreich and Sarah Schulman have shown, we have ethical responsibilities to the vulnerable in our communities – and we find excuses to avoid them. Having cancer or caring for someone with it understandably causes fear, anxiety and depression. Expecting someone to have a Positive Attitude™ when they are facing mortality, or telling them they’ve missed a simplistic way they could have avoided their fate, further isolates and shuns them.

Again, it might seem “empowering” for people to think that they can cure their cancer with magic herbs, shooting coffee up their butts, thinking positive thoughts, or doing yoga, but it’s not. It tells people battling cancer and losing that they didn’t do enough, that they could have prevented this if only they had wanted it badly enough and had a positive enough attitude, that their impending death is at least partially their own fault. Believe me, cancer patients ask themselves every day if there was something they could have done to prevent this or something they can do to arrest the inexorable progression of their disease. In the case of diseases linked with various lifestyle choices, such as smoking, the regret can be overpowering. Even in the cases of cancers much more weakly associated with lifestyle factors, cancer patients are constantly asking themselves, “Why me?? They don’t need to hear the implied answer from well-meaning friends of, “Because you don’t want to get better badly enough to chase after these cancer cures I’m telling you about.”

The third article showed up a couple of days ago and describes another price that is paid. We’ve seen this before in posts I’ve done, but this story is about a famous Indian actor who appeared in Malayalam films who unfortunately developed cancer at young age. It was initially successfully treated, but recurred and ultimately took his life at age 35. After his recurrence, he experienced exactly what Upset experienced, only on a grander scale because of his fame:

Death may be the ultimate equaliser, but famous people have to deal with fans eager to cure their stars. Circumspection when it comes to free advise is not an Indian trait. In the age of Facebook and Google this enthusiasm often turns to unhindered medical ‘knowledge’ and personal stories based on wishful thinking not science. Everybody has a cousin in America and an aunt in Coimbatore as well, with several tumours disappearing to the surprise of western medicine.

Jishnu Raghavan had his dose as well, of people asking him to try remedies like Lakshmi Tharu (simarouba glauca) and Mulathu/Mulethi (graviola). He tried the various cures and as he wrote on his Facebook page, he found himself in a dangerous spot. Not wishing to hurt his followers, he left a note saying goodwill is one thing, holding out hope of cure is quite another especially as he was battling for life.

As a result, Jishnu posted this on Facebook last April:

Friends I am getting a lot of suggestions to take lakshmi tharu and mulatha.. This was popularised through social media…I took the risk of trying it on myself and many other popular alternate medicines suggested by friends and family.. It couldn’t control my Tumor and rather took me to a very dangerous situation.. I will never suggest it as an alternative to the already proved medication.. Maybe after a formal medication all these can be used so that it doesn’t return back.. I wish and pray there is further study and research on all these to create a proper medication for cancer..Please don’t advice this to anybody as an alternative to chemotherapy or any formal medication and mislead people.. It is very dangerous… And never believe forwarded messages in social media blindly.. I was declared dead a few months back by social media and here I am messaging you..

It’s not as though Jishnu appears to be in any way anti-alternative medicine either. The first comment that shows up after this post is him telling his fans that he doesn’t mean alternative medicine is wrong and that he understands “that we have diverted ourselves from our taditional living methods we are getting all these kinds of deseases.” He even mentions that he would use “ayurveda and homeo to deal with the aftereffects of the treatment that i am going through now and see to it that i follow ayurveda for a better life ahead.” That he felt obligated to say these things after asking his fans to stop sending him recommendations for alternative cancer cures gives you an idea of the effect these stories have on cancer patients. They know that these recommendations come from a motivation to do good, to help save them. They also know that these alternative cancer cure testimonials can give false hope or simply put the onus on them for being sick.

As Steve Novella observes, seriously ill people do not need your well-meaning medical advice. If they want medical advice, they will ask you for it. Do not offer it unsolicited, as it only makes them feel worse about their situation, in essence shaming them for being ill and not fighting “hard enough” or having a “positive enough” attitude while making you feel better about yourself. Instead, offer them the help they need, whether it’s to watch their children or drive them to a doctor’s appointment. George Carlin, it turns out, was right about this.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1MVIUcV

Over the last week or so, I’ve noticed (or had brought to my attention) a series of articles discussing a phenomenon related to alternative medicine that I don’t believe that I’ve addressed before, at least not directly anyway. I had filed some of these in my folder of topics for blogging, but somehow never got around to them because I let so much time and blog verbiage be dominated by a discussion of how Andrew Wakefield infiltrated the Tribeca Film Festival, only to see Robert De Niro reverse his decision a few days later and yank his film from the festival, after a brief attempt to defend the choice. Then, of course, I couldn’t resist having some fun with the conspiracy theories that flowed afterward. And, before I get into the heavy stuff, I can’t help but mention a little comic relieve, mainly that Wakefield’s film Vaxxed will be showing at the Angelika Film Center opening tomorrow, April Fools Day.

That diversion aside, yesterday as I contemplated what to blog about it I saw that Steve Novella had written about the very phenomenon I had planned to write about and almost thought I had blown my opportunity. Far be it from me, however, to let a little thing like that stop me, particularly when the topic is one that I don’t recall having directly addressed before and relevant to cancer patients and alternative medicine. I’m referring, of course, to the tendency for well-meaning people, many of whom are often woo-friendly, recommending all sorts of remedies to patients suffering from serious, even terminal illnesses.

The article that brought my attention to this was an advice column, Ask Amy: How do I keep people from offering alternative ‘cures’ for my husband’s advanced cancer? A woman who bills herself as “Upset” (as well she should be) describes her husband being diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, failing two chemotherapy regimens, and facing a dismal prognosis of being unlikely to survive more than a year from his diagnosis, which, given that he had already undergone two courses of chemotherapy, would only be months. If you’ve ever had a close family member in this situation (or if you yourself are facing a serious or even terminal, illness yourself), see if you recognize this situation:

People we hardly know come up to us and tell us how various alternative medicine approaches (multiple herbs, specific diets, etc.) “cured” their loved ones and/or tell us how their neighbor, co-worker or friend has survived five, eight or 10 years or even that “they can cure cancer now.”

And:

I have tried to simply say “that’s interesting” to suggestions of alternative therapies and “how fortunate for him or her” to the others but, unfortunately, these people want to continue telling us what we should be doing or insisting that my husband can live a long time.

Because I see on a daily basis the deterioration in my husband’s condition, I find these comments and unsolicited advice extremely distressing.

In an attempt to end one of these unsolicited conversations, I told someone that they did not seem to know much about pancreatic cancer and walked away from them. I was later told that I was being rude. Can you suggest a polite way to shut these people up so they do not add to my stress and grief?

First, of course, it is not Upset who is being rude. It is these well-meaning believers in various forms of quackery who insist on continuing to make their suggestions, even though Upset has made it clear that they are upsetting, not helping, her. At the same time, they are acting out of what they perceive to be good intentions, a motivation to help and, in helping, to potentially save a life. After all, if you really believe that a treatment you know about can cure advanced cancer and you have a friend or acquaintance dying of cancer or who has a loved one dying of cancer, wouldn’t you feel obligated to tell that person about it and try to convince the ailing person to try it? When you look at it that way, there really is a problem in dealing with such people if you happen to have a loved one with cancer, the most common precipitating illness for such misguided attempts to help, or another life-threatening disease.

Unfortunately, people like this make their suggestions so based on misinformation. Usually this misinformation is based on anecdotes about which they have incomplete information or that represent misinterpretations of what really happened of the sort that I’ve deconconstructed more times than I can remember on this blog and, when critically analyzed, don’t actually show that the alternative treatment cured the cancer.

Amy’s advice was reasonable. Pointing out that Upset should remember that these people’s motives were good, she also suggested:

But please — do not engage in these conversations about miracle cures, even to the extent of pretending to listen. Look the person in the eye, say, “I think you’re trying to help, but this conversation is making things much harder for me, so please — let’s stop now.”

This is about as good an option as there is, or perhaps I should say this is probably the least bad option.

A couple of days later, Steven W. Thrasher hit the same notes in more detail in an op-ed published in The Guardian. Thrasher lays it on the line immediately from the very first sentence:

If you’re a religious person, for the love of God, don’t tell someone with cancer that if they’d just drink juice (or take vitamins, or pray or have a “positive attitude”) that they could cure themselves.

And if you’re not a religious person, for the love of reason and decency, don’t tell someone with cancer any of these things, either.

The motivation for this article was the second anniversary of his sister’s death, who suffered from a rare sarcoma for 15 years before finally succumbing two years ago. Thrasher nails something about alternative medicine in general, and alternative cancer cures in particular, that I’ve been emphasizing for a long time, having written about it as recently as last week. I’m referring to the mentality that implies that all cancer is curable, if only the patient would only do the “right” things, pursue the “right” natural treatments, and have the “right” positive attitude. As I’ve discussed before many times, this attitude is very much like The Secret, the New Age mystical belief system that claims that you can have anything you want if you only want it enough and have a positive attitude. Basically, at the heart of The Secret is an idea known as the Law of Attraction, which states that you attract from the universe what you think about and desire, or, as one Secret maven put it, “Thoughts become things.” In other words, your mental attitudes draw people and things of like intention.

While this is trivially true in one way that has nothing to do with the mysticism of the “universe” sending you things because you want them and/or have a positive attitude, it also has a dark side. That dark side is the flip side of the message of attracting good things to yourself with desire and a positive attitude. Specifically, that flip side implies that if you don’t have good things or are sick that you’ve somehow brought it on yourself through your desires and “negative” attitude. In the case of disease, this has particularly pernicious consequences. While on the surface it might seem “empowering” to believe that you have the power to cure disease and make yourself healthy, that dark flip side to “Secret”-like thinking is that if you are still dying of cancer you brought it on yourself and/or just don’t want to be cured badly enough. It’s just as I said last week. When alternative cancer cures don’t work, it’s always the patient’s fault for not having done it correctly or not having tried hard enough.

This is basically what Thrasher describes:

Over the years, it was painful for me to see people tell my sister (and me) that she could just cure herself if she really wanted to. Didn’t she know that if she just drank lemon juice every day she could wipe out her cancer cells? That if she’d just watch that Netflix documentary The Gerson Miracle she’d be OK? That if she were only willing to take vitamins, or eat raw food, or do yoga or look on the bright side of things, her illness would go away?

It’s The Secret in action, and patients suffering from cancer and their loved ones hate it—for good reason. In fact, Thrasher goes beyond that and characterizes such offers as “act of violence every time someone suggests a simplistic, unproven and fantastic cure for another’s cancer.” I’m not sure I’d go that far, but then I haven’t experienced what Thrasher has experienced. True, my mother-in-law died a horrible death of breast cancer seven years ago, but I heard very few offers of alternative medicine cancer cures. Perhaps that’s one advantage of being known among your friends for writing a blog like this. I don’t know, however, how many suggestions of such “cures” my mother-in-law endured before the end.

Thrasher lists three reasons why he thinks these offers are acts of “violence.” Reason one:

First, it’s condescending. If lemon juice really cured cancer, don’t you think we’d all be dancing around citrus trees? That lemonade would be traded on Wall Street and hedge funds would be peddling lemon-flavored credit default swaps? More importantly, when someone has had cancer for months or years – maybe living through hours of doctor appointments, days in hospitals and months in bed – don’t you think they’ve had time to consider every possible option with the seriousness their own mortality deserves?

I frequently point out to the conspiracy theorists who think that “they” are keeping “natural cures” for cancer from you in order to make money that we who take care of cancer patients would be overjoyed if someone could demonstrate that lemon juice (or something else as simple) cured cancer. I also point out how impossible such a conspiracy would be to keep secret given how common cancer is and how pretty much everyone who lives long enough will witness a loved one die of cancer. Do such idiots really think that, if we knew of a cure, we’d keep it from our family members and friends? Then, once out, the cure would be everywhere. Basically, no group as large as scientists, physicians, and the pharmaceutical company could keep such a thing secret for very long. It’s utter nonsense to imply otherwise.

Reason number two is one manifestation of The Secret:

Second, it could be argued that people giving advice are just trying to “do something” and kindly offer help. But I reject this: if you want to do something to help someone in distress, as George Carlin famously riffed, unplug their clogged toilet or paint the garage. Don’t tell a sick or injured person what they should do, because it’s a sneaky and harmful way of dealing with your own fear of death. You’re saying, tsk tsk – I wouldn’t let this happen to me the way you’ve let it happen to you.

Exactly. Reason number three is a variation on the same theme:

Finally, giving advice to people with cancer blames the sick person for your discomfort with their reality and shifts any accountability you feel back on to them. As the authors Barbara Ehrenreich and Sarah Schulman have shown, we have ethical responsibilities to the vulnerable in our communities – and we find excuses to avoid them. Having cancer or caring for someone with it understandably causes fear, anxiety and depression. Expecting someone to have a Positive Attitude™ when they are facing mortality, or telling them they’ve missed a simplistic way they could have avoided their fate, further isolates and shuns them.

Again, it might seem “empowering” for people to think that they can cure their cancer with magic herbs, shooting coffee up their butts, thinking positive thoughts, or doing yoga, but it’s not. It tells people battling cancer and losing that they didn’t do enough, that they could have prevented this if only they had wanted it badly enough and had a positive enough attitude, that their impending death is at least partially their own fault. Believe me, cancer patients ask themselves every day if there was something they could have done to prevent this or something they can do to arrest the inexorable progression of their disease. In the case of diseases linked with various lifestyle choices, such as smoking, the regret can be overpowering. Even in the cases of cancers much more weakly associated with lifestyle factors, cancer patients are constantly asking themselves, “Why me?? They don’t need to hear the implied answer from well-meaning friends of, “Because you don’t want to get better badly enough to chase after these cancer cures I’m telling you about.”

The third article showed up a couple of days ago and describes another price that is paid. We’ve seen this before in posts I’ve done, but this story is about a famous Indian actor who appeared in Malayalam films who unfortunately developed cancer at young age. It was initially successfully treated, but recurred and ultimately took his life at age 35. After his recurrence, he experienced exactly what Upset experienced, only on a grander scale because of his fame:

Death may be the ultimate equaliser, but famous people have to deal with fans eager to cure their stars. Circumspection when it comes to free advise is not an Indian trait. In the age of Facebook and Google this enthusiasm often turns to unhindered medical ‘knowledge’ and personal stories based on wishful thinking not science. Everybody has a cousin in America and an aunt in Coimbatore as well, with several tumours disappearing to the surprise of western medicine.

Jishnu Raghavan had his dose as well, of people asking him to try remedies like Lakshmi Tharu (simarouba glauca) and Mulathu/Mulethi (graviola). He tried the various cures and as he wrote on his Facebook page, he found himself in a dangerous spot. Not wishing to hurt his followers, he left a note saying goodwill is one thing, holding out hope of cure is quite another especially as he was battling for life.

As a result, Jishnu posted this on Facebook last April:

Friends I am getting a lot of suggestions to take lakshmi tharu and mulatha.. This was popularised through social media…I took the risk of trying it on myself and many other popular alternate medicines suggested by friends and family.. It couldn’t control my Tumor and rather took me to a very dangerous situation.. I will never suggest it as an alternative to the already proved medication.. Maybe after a formal medication all these can be used so that it doesn’t return back.. I wish and pray there is further study and research on all these to create a proper medication for cancer..Please don’t advice this to anybody as an alternative to chemotherapy or any formal medication and mislead people.. It is very dangerous… And never believe forwarded messages in social media blindly.. I was declared dead a few months back by social media and here I am messaging you..

It’s not as though Jishnu appears to be in any way anti-alternative medicine either. The first comment that shows up after this post is him telling his fans that he doesn’t mean alternative medicine is wrong and that he understands “that we have diverted ourselves from our taditional living methods we are getting all these kinds of deseases.” He even mentions that he would use “ayurveda and homeo to deal with the aftereffects of the treatment that i am going through now and see to it that i follow ayurveda for a better life ahead.” That he felt obligated to say these things after asking his fans to stop sending him recommendations for alternative cancer cures gives you an idea of the effect these stories have on cancer patients. They know that these recommendations come from a motivation to do good, to help save them. They also know that these alternative cancer cure testimonials can give false hope or simply put the onus on them for being sick.

As Steve Novella observes, seriously ill people do not need your well-meaning medical advice. If they want medical advice, they will ask you for it. Do not offer it unsolicited, as it only makes them feel worse about their situation, in essence shaming them for being ill and not fighting “hard enough” or having a “positive enough” attitude while making you feel better about yourself. Instead, offer them the help they need, whether it’s to watch their children or drive them to a doctor’s appointment. George Carlin, it turns out, was right about this.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1MVIUcV

March Pieces Of My Mind #3 [Aardvarchaeology]

Investigated a midden on the commuter train as I went into town for a doom metal gig.

• Untouched WW2 resistance arms cache found in a cave near Bergen. Sadly no archaeological involvement. Everything dealt with by police explosives experts.
• Greek Western heroine: Kalamata Jane.
• So annoying when people write about patently incorrect beliefs held in the past or in far parts of the world as “knowledge”.
• They’re going to drill cores of the limestone that fills the dino killer crater and look at what happened after the impact.
• A car is a device that allows you to charge your phone using petroleum products.
• Now I’ve seen all Östergötland’s sites with visible remains of Medieval fortifications plus a selection of sites with Medieval house foundations in naturally defensible locations.
• Put an umbo on your shield — like a boss!
• I just applied for docentur, roughly equivalent to Dr. Habil. My 31-page application letter includes the chair’s recommendation letter and the certificate I got from the supervision course last week. The former chairman of the committee that hands out the docentur told me recently that under these conditions, the docentur badge is never refused.
• Refused to install the Chromecast dongle in the TV. Pointed out that you don’t need a willy to be able to do that. Wife & Jrette went to it and soon proved me correct.
• I’m not entirely sure, because these organisations change their names and merge and shit. But it seems that I will be receiving pension money from seven different schemes. The way things are going so far, it will add up to abject poverty.
• Billy Preston who plays on several tracks on Let It Be was a gay black survivor of childhood sex abuse.
• If I was a member of The Band I would be completely incapable of refraining from telling my wife that I wanted to make Music From Little Pink with her.
• One of my excavation volunteers just bailed. I used a die from my 1984 copy of Swedish Runequest to determine who gets the slot.
• Do all academics understand that a large part of what a paper’s citation index measures is how eager scholars are to be friends with the author? Nothing improves the apparent importance of your work like you making head of department.
• Two pairs of terms that I can’t tell apart internally: anorexia vs. bulimia, and pedagogy vs. didactics.
• Funny with group photos where people are leaning drunkenly on each other despite the frame being way outside them.
• Junior made an interesting find in the current EU rules for ecological food (p. 11). “… chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products including antibiotics may be used where necessary and under strict conditions, when the use of phytotherapeutic, homeopathic and other products is inappropriate.” “Allopathic” means “real science-based” in the alternative argot. “Phytotherapeutic” means “of healing herbs”. “Homeopathic” means “of sugar pills with water on them”. What “other products” might mean is anyone’s guess.
• Movie: Ex Machina. Young software engineer is tasked to test an AI. But who is testing whom? And why is there so much gratuitous young-female-only nudity? Grade: Pass.
• Walter the Peruvian car mechanic informs me that the dramatic banging noise from the front right wheel on the car was due to a spindle arm on its way to breakdown.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1VV0lS4

Investigated a midden on the commuter train as I went into town for a doom metal gig.

• Untouched WW2 resistance arms cache found in a cave near Bergen. Sadly no archaeological involvement. Everything dealt with by police explosives experts.
• Greek Western heroine: Kalamata Jane.
• So annoying when people write about patently incorrect beliefs held in the past or in far parts of the world as “knowledge”.
• They’re going to drill cores of the limestone that fills the dino killer crater and look at what happened after the impact.
• A car is a device that allows you to charge your phone using petroleum products.
• Now I’ve seen all Östergötland’s sites with visible remains of Medieval fortifications plus a selection of sites with Medieval house foundations in naturally defensible locations.
• Put an umbo on your shield — like a boss!
• I just applied for docentur, roughly equivalent to Dr. Habil. My 31-page application letter includes the chair’s recommendation letter and the certificate I got from the supervision course last week. The former chairman of the committee that hands out the docentur told me recently that under these conditions, the docentur badge is never refused.
• Refused to install the Chromecast dongle in the TV. Pointed out that you don’t need a willy to be able to do that. Wife & Jrette went to it and soon proved me correct.
• I’m not entirely sure, because these organisations change their names and merge and shit. But it seems that I will be receiving pension money from seven different schemes. The way things are going so far, it will add up to abject poverty.
• Billy Preston who plays on several tracks on Let It Be was a gay black survivor of childhood sex abuse.
• If I was a member of The Band I would be completely incapable of refraining from telling my wife that I wanted to make Music From Little Pink with her.
• One of my excavation volunteers just bailed. I used a die from my 1984 copy of Swedish Runequest to determine who gets the slot.
• Do all academics understand that a large part of what a paper’s citation index measures is how eager scholars are to be friends with the author? Nothing improves the apparent importance of your work like you making head of department.
• Two pairs of terms that I can’t tell apart internally: anorexia vs. bulimia, and pedagogy vs. didactics.
• Funny with group photos where people are leaning drunkenly on each other despite the frame being way outside them.
• Junior made an interesting find in the current EU rules for ecological food (p. 11). “… chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products including antibiotics may be used where necessary and under strict conditions, when the use of phytotherapeutic, homeopathic and other products is inappropriate.” “Allopathic” means “real science-based” in the alternative argot. “Phytotherapeutic” means “of healing herbs”. “Homeopathic” means “of sugar pills with water on them”. What “other products” might mean is anyone’s guess.
• Movie: Ex Machina. Young software engineer is tasked to test an AI. But who is testing whom? And why is there so much gratuitous young-female-only nudity? Grade: Pass.
• Walter the Peruvian car mechanic informs me that the dramatic banging noise from the front right wheel on the car was due to a spindle arm on its way to breakdown.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1VV0lS4

April 2016 guide to the 5 bright planets

Jupiter is in the eastern half of sky at nightfall and reaches its high point for the night at mid-to-late evening.

Will you catch the young moon with Mercury after sunset April 8? Maybe! Read more.

The king of planets – Jupiter – is the brightest starlike object in the April, 2016, night sky. It pops out first thing at dusk and lights up the nighttime until the wee hours of the morning. At mid-northern latitudes, Mars and Saturn rise over the eastern horizon at mid-to-late evening (and in the Southern Hemisphere, at early-to-mid evening). Once these two planets are up, they are out for rest of the night, near each other, getting brighter, heading toward their brightest and best in late May and early June. Mars and Saturn join up with the bright star Antares to form a bright celestial triangle, which is especially prominent during the predawn hours. Mercury puts on a good show in the Northern Hemisphere evening sky, later this month. The brightest planet – Venus – is lost in the glare of sunrise. Follow the links below to learn more about the April planets.

Jupiter brightest “star” on April nights

Mars, late evening until dawn, gets much brighter!

Saturn shines near Mars from late evening until dawn

Mercury’s best evening apparition for N. Hemisphere

Venus, brightest planet, lost in the sunrise

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Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops

Use the moon to find the the planet Jupiter and the star Regulus on April 15, 16 and 17. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac. Read more.

Sirius, the brightest star of nighttime, predominates over the western half of sky at nightfall. Orion’s Belt points to Sirius, not Jupiter! Read more.

Jupiter brightest “star” on April nights. Jupiter is the only planet to light up the sky almost immediately after sunset. You’ll easily spot it blazing away in the eastern half of sky at nightfall.

This giant planet climbs highest up for the night at roughly 9 to 10 p.m. local time (10 to 11 p.m. local daylight-saving time) and sets in the west before dawn. Jupiter will remain a fine evening prospect for months to come.

Although Jupiter is almost impossible to miss, it might be possible to confuse it with Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. At nightfall and early evening, Jupiter lords over the eastern half of sky, while Sirius shines way to the west of Jupiter, dominating over the western half of sky. From either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, you can rely on the famous constellation Orion the Hunter to confirm that you’re looking at Sirius, and not Jupiter, because Orion’s Belt of three stars points right to this sparkling blue-white star.

The moon swings close to Jupiter on the sky’s dome for several days, centered on April 17.

If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

These moons circle Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we got to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons through a high-powered telescope. Click here or here or here for more details.

Although Jupiter’s axial tilt is only 3^o out of perpendicular relative to the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane), Jupiter’s axis will tilt enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, will NOT pass in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter for a period of about three years, starting in late 2016. During this approximate 3-year period, Callisto will remain “perpetually” visible, alternately swinging “above” and “below” Jupiter.

Click here for a Jupiter’s moons almanac, courtesy of Sky & Telescope.

The moon swings by Mars, Saturn and Antares on April 24, 25 and 26. The green line depicts the ecliptic. Read more.

Mars, late evening until dawn, gets much brighter! Mars is not as bright as Jupiter, April’s most brilliant starlike object. However, Jupiter will dim slightly this month, while Mars will double in brilliance in April 2016 alone!

By the time Mars reaches its crest of brightness in late May 2016, it will have quadrupled in brilliance since the beginning of April. So watch Mars, which has greater swings in brilliance than any other solar system planet, except for Mercury.

At is brightest, Mars shines some 80 times more brilliantly than at its faintest.

Why is Mars getting so bright? For most of the past two years, Earth has been fleeing ahead of Mars in orbit. Mars orbits just one step outward from us, and we move slightly faster in orbit, and – about every two years – we catch up to Mars again and pass between it and the sun. That’ll happen next in late May, 2016. Astronomers will say that Mars is in opposition to the sun around that time. Then, believe it or not, Mars will nearly match Jupiter in brightness!

By late May, as we pass between it and the sun, Mars will be rising in the east as the sun is setting in the west. It’ll be opposite the sun, in opposition.

In April, though, Mars rises in the east quite late at night, as seen from mid-northern latitudes and is still perhaps best seen in the hours before dawn. Mars rises around 11 p.m. local time (midnight, if you use Daylight Time) in early April. By the end of the month, Mars rises at about 9 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Daylight Time) at mid-northern latitudes.

Mars rises earlier at temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. In early April, the red planet comes up around 9 to 10 p.m. in early March, and by the month’s end, around nightfall.

Looking for a sky almanac? EarthSky recommends…

And here’s the really good news. Mars is near another planet on the sky’s dome, Saturn. Look for Mars and Saturn to be highest up in the sky just before dawn’s first light.

Let the waning gibbous moon help guide your eye to Mars (and Saturn) in the morning sky for several days, centered on April 25 (or catch the moon, Mars and Saturn low in the southeast sky late at night).

Any planet or star climbs highest up in the sky when it transits (crosses) your meridian – the imaginary semi-circle running from north to south on the sky’s dome. Click here to find out when Mars, Saturn and Antares transit the meridian in your sky.

Saturn shines near Mars from late evening until dawn. And both Mars and Saturn are near a fainter object – still one of the sky’s brightest stars – Antares in the constellation Scorpius.

From mid-northern latitudes, the ringed planet starts the month rising in the east somewhat before midnight local time (1 a.m. Daylight Time), and by the month’s end, coming up around 10 p.m. local time (11 p.m. Daylight Time).

As for temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Saturn rises in the east at roughly 10 p.m. local time in early April. By the end of the month, Saturn will be up by around 8 p.m. local time.

Although Saturn shines on par with the sky’s brightest stars, its brilliance can’t match that of Mars. Look for Saturn near Mars at late evening or in the predawn sky. These two worlds form a bright celestial triangle with the star Antares in the April predawn sky. Mars is brighter than Saturn, which in turn is brighter than Antares.

Mars will eventually catch up with Saturn on August 24, 2016, to present a conjunction of these two worlds in the August evening sky.

Watch for the moon to swing by Saturn for several days, centered on or near April 25. Scroll up to the second sky chart above.

Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light. Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way. For that, you need a small telescope. But binoculars will enhance Saturn’s golden color.

Saturn’s rings are inclined at a little more than 26^o from edge-on in April 2016, exhibiting their northern face. Next year, in October 2017, the rings will open most widely, displaying a maximum inclination of 27^o. As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27^o by May, 2032.

Click here for recommended almanacs. They can help you know when the planets rise, transit and set in your sky

At northerly latitudes, we have a good chance of catching the young moon with Mercury after sunset April 8. Read more.

Mercury’s best evening apparition for N. Hemisphere. Mercury sets after the sun all month long in April 2016. In the Northern hemisphere and the southern tropics, Mercury will probably climb far enough from the sunset glare to become visible in the evening twilight by the end of the first week of April. After that, at northerly latitudes, Mercury should remain in relatively good view at nightfall for a couple more weeks.

For the Northern Hemisphere, April 2016 presents the best apparition of Mercury in the evening sky for the entire year.

Try you luck catching the young waxing crescent moon and Mercury after sunset, starting on April 8. Mercury will swing to its greatest elongation – farthest angular distance from the sun – some ten days later, on April 18. For several days, centered on April 18, Mercury will actually stay out until nightfall. Find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset and bring binoculars, if you have them.

Temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere have little to no chance of catching Mercury in April, but southerly latitudes will get their chance to see Mercury in the morning sky in late May and June, 2016.

The planet Mercury in its orbit will swing directly in between the Earth and sun, as it transitions from the evening to the morning sky, on May 9, 2016, to showcase the first transit of Mercury since November 8, 2006.

Photo of the transit of Venus on June 6, 2012, via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,

Venus, brightest planet, lost in the sunrise. From all over the world, Venus sinks closer to the glare of sunrise all month long. From the Southern Hemisphere, you might be able to glimpse Venus before sunrise in the early part of April. From northerly latitudes, Venus will be extremely hard to catch this month. Venus will pass directly behind the sun on June 6, 2016, as it transitions from the morning to the evening sky.

Exactly four years previous to Venus passing directly behind the sun on June 6, 2016, Venus swung directly in front of the sun on June 6, 2012, to present the last transit of Venus until December 11, 2117. See the photo above.

What do we mean by bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets actually do appear bright in our sky. They are typically as bright as – or brighter than – the brightest stars. Plus, these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars. You can spot them, and come to know them as faithful friends, if you try.

Bottom line: April 2016 is still Jupiter’s month to bask in the light of the sun. But two other planets, Mars and Saturn, are in fine view in the predawn hours, and with some diligence, you might catch Mercury after sunset.

Easily locate stars and constellations with EarthSky’s planisphere.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email

From late January, and through mid-February, 5 bright planets were visible at once in the predawn sky. This image is from February 8, 2016. It’s by Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona. View on Flickr.

Awesome month for planets before dawn: October, 2015! Photo taken October 2, 2015 by Mohamed Laaifat Photographies in Normandy, France.

Eastern sky before dawn now. Photo taken September 18, 2015 and submitted to EarthSky by Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia. Thanks, Greg!

View larger. Evening dusk on August 5: Venus at left. Mercury is climbing higher, toward Regulus (at top) and Jupiter (beneath Regulus).

By the evening of July 12, Venus and Jupiter were farther apart and lower in the western sky after sunset. Photo by Robert Kelly. Thanks, Robert!

Photo taken June 13, 2015 by John Nelson at Puget Sound, Washington. Thanks, John!

View larger. | Photo taken in early June, 2015 by Göran Strand in Sweden. He wrote: “One of the last nights during the spring when the stars were still visible … ” Follow Fotograf Göran Strand on Facebook, or @astrofotografen on Instagram. Or visit his website.

Lunar eclipse on the night of October 8, 2014. The object to the left is the planet Uranus! This beautiful photo is by Janey Wing Kenyon of Story, Wyoming.

Debra Fryar in Calobreves, Texas captured this photo of the moon and Jupiter on May 31, 2014. Jupiter was close to the twilight then.

With only a modest backyard telescope, you can easily see Jupiter’s four largest moons. Here they are through a 10″ (25 cm) Meade LX200 telescope. Image credit: Jan Sandberg

Jupiter was rivaling the streetlights, when Mohamed Laaifat Photographies captured this photo in Normandy, France. Visit his page on Facebook.

Venus by Danny Crocker-Jensen

These are called star trails. It’s a long-exposure photo, which shows you how Earth is turning under the stars. The brightest object here is Jupiter, which is the second-brightest planet, after Venus. This awesome photo by EarthSky Facebook friend Mohamed Laaifat in Normandy, France. Thank you, Mohamed.

Skywatcher, by Predrag Agatonovic.

Easily locate stars and constellations with EarthSky’s planisphere.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/IJfHCr

Jupiter is in the eastern half of sky at nightfall and reaches its high point for the night at mid-to-late evening.

Will you catch the young moon with Mercury after sunset April 8? Maybe! Read more.

The king of planets – Jupiter – is the brightest starlike object in the April, 2016, night sky. It pops out first thing at dusk and lights up the nighttime until the wee hours of the morning. At mid-northern latitudes, Mars and Saturn rise over the eastern horizon at mid-to-late evening (and in the Southern Hemisphere, at early-to-mid evening). Once these two planets are up, they are out for rest of the night, near each other, getting brighter, heading toward their brightest and best in late May and early June. Mars and Saturn join up with the bright star Antares to form a bright celestial triangle, which is especially prominent during the predawn hours. Mercury puts on a good show in the Northern Hemisphere evening sky, later this month. The brightest planet – Venus – is lost in the glare of sunrise. Follow the links below to learn more about the April planets.

Jupiter brightest “star” on April nights

Mars, late evening until dawn, gets much brighter!

Saturn shines near Mars from late evening until dawn

Mercury’s best evening apparition for N. Hemisphere

Venus, brightest planet, lost in the sunrise

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Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops

Use the moon to find the the planet Jupiter and the star Regulus on April 15, 16 and 17. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac. Read more.

Sirius, the brightest star of nighttime, predominates over the western half of sky at nightfall. Orion’s Belt points to Sirius, not Jupiter! Read more.

Jupiter brightest “star” on April nights. Jupiter is the only planet to light up the sky almost immediately after sunset. You’ll easily spot it blazing away in the eastern half of sky at nightfall.

This giant planet climbs highest up for the night at roughly 9 to 10 p.m. local time (10 to 11 p.m. local daylight-saving time) and sets in the west before dawn. Jupiter will remain a fine evening prospect for months to come.

Although Jupiter is almost impossible to miss, it might be possible to confuse it with Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. At nightfall and early evening, Jupiter lords over the eastern half of sky, while Sirius shines way to the west of Jupiter, dominating over the western half of sky. From either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, you can rely on the famous constellation Orion the Hunter to confirm that you’re looking at Sirius, and not Jupiter, because Orion’s Belt of three stars points right to this sparkling blue-white star.

The moon swings close to Jupiter on the sky’s dome for several days, centered on April 17.

If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

These moons circle Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we got to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons through a high-powered telescope. Click here or here or here for more details.

Although Jupiter’s axial tilt is only 3^o out of perpendicular relative to the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane), Jupiter’s axis will tilt enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, will NOT pass in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter for a period of about three years, starting in late 2016. During this approximate 3-year period, Callisto will remain “perpetually” visible, alternately swinging “above” and “below” Jupiter.

Click here for a Jupiter’s moons almanac, courtesy of Sky & Telescope.

The moon swings by Mars, Saturn and Antares on April 24, 25 and 26. The green line depicts the ecliptic. Read more.

Mars, late evening until dawn, gets much brighter! Mars is not as bright as Jupiter, April’s most brilliant starlike object. However, Jupiter will dim slightly this month, while Mars will double in brilliance in April 2016 alone!

By the time Mars reaches its crest of brightness in late May 2016, it will have quadrupled in brilliance since the beginning of April. So watch Mars, which has greater swings in brilliance than any other solar system planet, except for Mercury.

At is brightest, Mars shines some 80 times more brilliantly than at its faintest.

Why is Mars getting so bright? For most of the past two years, Earth has been fleeing ahead of Mars in orbit. Mars orbits just one step outward from us, and we move slightly faster in orbit, and – about every two years – we catch up to Mars again and pass between it and the sun. That’ll happen next in late May, 2016. Astronomers will say that Mars is in opposition to the sun around that time. Then, believe it or not, Mars will nearly match Jupiter in brightness!

By late May, as we pass between it and the sun, Mars will be rising in the east as the sun is setting in the west. It’ll be opposite the sun, in opposition.

In April, though, Mars rises in the east quite late at night, as seen from mid-northern latitudes and is still perhaps best seen in the hours before dawn. Mars rises around 11 p.m. local time (midnight, if you use Daylight Time) in early April. By the end of the month, Mars rises at about 9 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Daylight Time) at mid-northern latitudes.

Mars rises earlier at temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. In early April, the red planet comes up around 9 to 10 p.m. in early March, and by the month’s end, around nightfall.

Looking for a sky almanac? EarthSky recommends…

And here’s the really good news. Mars is near another planet on the sky’s dome, Saturn. Look for Mars and Saturn to be highest up in the sky just before dawn’s first light.

Let the waning gibbous moon help guide your eye to Mars (and Saturn) in the morning sky for several days, centered on April 25 (or catch the moon, Mars and Saturn low in the southeast sky late at night).

Any planet or star climbs highest up in the sky when it transits (crosses) your meridian – the imaginary semi-circle running from north to south on the sky’s dome. Click here to find out when Mars, Saturn and Antares transit the meridian in your sky.

Saturn shines near Mars from late evening until dawn. And both Mars and Saturn are near a fainter object – still one of the sky’s brightest stars – Antares in the constellation Scorpius.

From mid-northern latitudes, the ringed planet starts the month rising in the east somewhat before midnight local time (1 a.m. Daylight Time), and by the month’s end, coming up around 10 p.m. local time (11 p.m. Daylight Time).

As for temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Saturn rises in the east at roughly 10 p.m. local time in early April. By the end of the month, Saturn will be up by around 8 p.m. local time.

Although Saturn shines on par with the sky’s brightest stars, its brilliance can’t match that of Mars. Look for Saturn near Mars at late evening or in the predawn sky. These two worlds form a bright celestial triangle with the star Antares in the April predawn sky. Mars is brighter than Saturn, which in turn is brighter than Antares.

Mars will eventually catch up with Saturn on August 24, 2016, to present a conjunction of these two worlds in the August evening sky.

Watch for the moon to swing by Saturn for several days, centered on or near April 25. Scroll up to the second sky chart above.

Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light. Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way. For that, you need a small telescope. But binoculars will enhance Saturn’s golden color.

Saturn’s rings are inclined at a little more than 26^o from edge-on in April 2016, exhibiting their northern face. Next year, in October 2017, the rings will open most widely, displaying a maximum inclination of 27^o. As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27^o by May, 2032.

Click here for recommended almanacs. They can help you know when the planets rise, transit and set in your sky

At northerly latitudes, we have a good chance of catching the young moon with Mercury after sunset April 8. Read more.

Mercury’s best evening apparition for N. Hemisphere. Mercury sets after the sun all month long in April 2016. In the Northern hemisphere and the southern tropics, Mercury will probably climb far enough from the sunset glare to become visible in the evening twilight by the end of the first week of April. After that, at northerly latitudes, Mercury should remain in relatively good view at nightfall for a couple more weeks.

For the Northern Hemisphere, April 2016 presents the best apparition of Mercury in the evening sky for the entire year.

Try you luck catching the young waxing crescent moon and Mercury after sunset, starting on April 8. Mercury will swing to its greatest elongation – farthest angular distance from the sun – some ten days later, on April 18. For several days, centered on April 18, Mercury will actually stay out until nightfall. Find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset and bring binoculars, if you have them.

Temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere have little to no chance of catching Mercury in April, but southerly latitudes will get their chance to see Mercury in the morning sky in late May and June, 2016.

The planet Mercury in its orbit will swing directly in between the Earth and sun, as it transitions from the evening to the morning sky, on May 9, 2016, to showcase the first transit of Mercury since November 8, 2006.

Photo of the transit of Venus on June 6, 2012, via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,

Venus, brightest planet, lost in the sunrise. From all over the world, Venus sinks closer to the glare of sunrise all month long. From the Southern Hemisphere, you might be able to glimpse Venus before sunrise in the early part of April. From northerly latitudes, Venus will be extremely hard to catch this month. Venus will pass directly behind the sun on June 6, 2016, as it transitions from the morning to the evening sky.

Exactly four years previous to Venus passing directly behind the sun on June 6, 2016, Venus swung directly in front of the sun on June 6, 2012, to present the last transit of Venus until December 11, 2117. See the photo above.

What do we mean by bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets actually do appear bright in our sky. They are typically as bright as – or brighter than – the brightest stars. Plus, these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars. You can spot them, and come to know them as faithful friends, if you try.

Bottom line: April 2016 is still Jupiter’s month to bask in the light of the sun. But two other planets, Mars and Saturn, are in fine view in the predawn hours, and with some diligence, you might catch Mercury after sunset.

Easily locate stars and constellations with EarthSky’s planisphere.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email

From late January, and through mid-February, 5 bright planets were visible at once in the predawn sky. This image is from February 8, 2016. It’s by Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona. View on Flickr.

Awesome month for planets before dawn: October, 2015! Photo taken October 2, 2015 by Mohamed Laaifat Photographies in Normandy, France.

Eastern sky before dawn now. Photo taken September 18, 2015 and submitted to EarthSky by Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia. Thanks, Greg!

View larger. Evening dusk on August 5: Venus at left. Mercury is climbing higher, toward Regulus (at top) and Jupiter (beneath Regulus).

By the evening of July 12, Venus and Jupiter were farther apart and lower in the western sky after sunset. Photo by Robert Kelly. Thanks, Robert!

Photo taken June 13, 2015 by John Nelson at Puget Sound, Washington. Thanks, John!

View larger. | Photo taken in early June, 2015 by Göran Strand in Sweden. He wrote: “One of the last nights during the spring when the stars were still visible … ” Follow Fotograf Göran Strand on Facebook, or @astrofotografen on Instagram. Or visit his website.

Lunar eclipse on the night of October 8, 2014. The object to the left is the planet Uranus! This beautiful photo is by Janey Wing Kenyon of Story, Wyoming.

Debra Fryar in Calobreves, Texas captured this photo of the moon and Jupiter on May 31, 2014. Jupiter was close to the twilight then.

With only a modest backyard telescope, you can easily see Jupiter’s four largest moons. Here they are through a 10″ (25 cm) Meade LX200 telescope. Image credit: Jan Sandberg

Jupiter was rivaling the streetlights, when Mohamed Laaifat Photographies captured this photo in Normandy, France. Visit his page on Facebook.

Venus by Danny Crocker-Jensen

These are called star trails. It’s a long-exposure photo, which shows you how Earth is turning under the stars. The brightest object here is Jupiter, which is the second-brightest planet, after Venus. This awesome photo by EarthSky Facebook friend Mohamed Laaifat in Normandy, France. Thank you, Mohamed.

Skywatcher, by Predrag Agatonovic.

Easily locate stars and constellations with EarthSky’s planisphere.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/IJfHCr

Global astronomy month begins April 1

Global Astronomy Month 2016 (#GAM2016) begins April 1, 2016, organized by Astronomers Without Borders, who motto is One People One Sky. The entire month of April will feature programs in astronomy for enthusiasts worldwide. Astronomers Without Border said in a statement:

Whether it’s stargazing, sharing with the public, or the cosmos in art, there is something for everyone in GAM 2016 …

Dozens of programs fill the month of April, with highlighted events worldwide including…

* OPTICKS: a Cosmic Mail Art, transmits images to the Moon and back as radio signals in real time.

* Faces of Astronomy: Astronomers Without Borders is nothing without its community. With the launch of Faces of Astronomy on April 18 we’re sharing the stories of people worldwide, highlighting differences and similarities of everyone in the AWB global astronomy community. Stories of astronomy as hobby and science, inspiration and hope, culture and tradition will be shared with the world, and the AWB Facebook page will highlight one new photo and story every day.

* Thousands will view the heavens through telescopes provided by amateur astronomers and science centers during the Global Star Party, SunDay, and other observing events.

* Online observing with popular astronomer Gianluca Masi will feature live interaction with a worldwide audience in the hugely popular Online Messier Marathon. The Virtual Telescope Project will offer a tour of the brightest star clusters, nebulae and galaxies in the sky in one night.

* AWB’s wide-ranging AstroArts program connects art and culture with astronomy in exciting ways with blog posts and special live webcasts, including the annual Cosmic Concert with original music composed and performed by Giovanni Renzo.

* Partner programs bring new audiences and participants: Measuring light pollution worldwide in Globe at Night, classrooms discovering asteroids in the International Asteroid Search Campaign, and more.

Learn more about GAM 2016 programs on the website at http://www.gam-awb.org

This website is the hub of all activities, with galleries, articles, and fresh content continuously posted. GAM participants will be adding their reports and photos about their local GAM events and program from all parts of the world.

Here is the schedule of Global Astronomy Month happenings to date:

March 1 – April 30: AstroPoetry Contest for GAM2016
March 30 – April 22: International Earth and Sky Photo Contest 2016
March 30 – April 8: Globe at Night
March 31 – May 5: IASC Asteroid Search Campaign
April 1-30: Children’s AstroArt Contest
April 1-30: The Undiscovered Universe (Observing Challenge)
April 1-30: Lunar Explorations (Observing Challenge)
April 1-30: Shoot for the Moon (Observing Challenge)
April 4: Online Messier Marathon (Online Observing Event)
April 4-10: International Dark Sky Week 2016
April 9: OPTICKS
April 10-11: The Moon plows through the Hyades (Observing Challenge)
April 10-24: Mars the Wanderer (Observing Challenge)
April 16: Global Star Party for GAM 2016
April 18-24: Diverse Universe Week
April 18: Faces of Astronomy
April 19: Astrophotography: The quest for the perfect picture (Live Hangout)
April 24: SunDay
April 28: Cosmic Concert for GAM 2016
April 29 – May 8: Globe at Night
May 9: Transit of Mercury

You might find a star party or other event near you at EarthSky’s list of events: Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops

To add an event to EarthSky’s list, please contact us here.

Bottom line: April, 2016, is Global Astronomy Month 2016 (#GAM2016), organized by Astronomers Without Borders, who motto is One People One Sky.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1SAIUU7

Global Astronomy Month 2016 (#GAM2016) begins April 1, 2016, organized by Astronomers Without Borders, who motto is One People One Sky. The entire month of April will feature programs in astronomy for enthusiasts worldwide. Astronomers Without Border said in a statement:

Whether it’s stargazing, sharing with the public, or the cosmos in art, there is something for everyone in GAM 2016 …

Dozens of programs fill the month of April, with highlighted events worldwide including…

* OPTICKS: a Cosmic Mail Art, transmits images to the Moon and back as radio signals in real time.

* Faces of Astronomy: Astronomers Without Borders is nothing without its community. With the launch of Faces of Astronomy on April 18 we’re sharing the stories of people worldwide, highlighting differences and similarities of everyone in the AWB global astronomy community. Stories of astronomy as hobby and science, inspiration and hope, culture and tradition will be shared with the world, and the AWB Facebook page will highlight one new photo and story every day.

* Thousands will view the heavens through telescopes provided by amateur astronomers and science centers during the Global Star Party, SunDay, and other observing events.

* Online observing with popular astronomer Gianluca Masi will feature live interaction with a worldwide audience in the hugely popular Online Messier Marathon. The Virtual Telescope Project will offer a tour of the brightest star clusters, nebulae and galaxies in the sky in one night.

* AWB’s wide-ranging AstroArts program connects art and culture with astronomy in exciting ways with blog posts and special live webcasts, including the annual Cosmic Concert with original music composed and performed by Giovanni Renzo.

* Partner programs bring new audiences and participants: Measuring light pollution worldwide in Globe at Night, classrooms discovering asteroids in the International Asteroid Search Campaign, and more.

Learn more about GAM 2016 programs on the website at http://www.gam-awb.org

This website is the hub of all activities, with galleries, articles, and fresh content continuously posted. GAM participants will be adding their reports and photos about their local GAM events and program from all parts of the world.

Here is the schedule of Global Astronomy Month happenings to date:

March 1 – April 30: AstroPoetry Contest for GAM2016
March 30 – April 22: International Earth and Sky Photo Contest 2016
March 30 – April 8: Globe at Night
March 31 – May 5: IASC Asteroid Search Campaign
April 1-30: Children’s AstroArt Contest
April 1-30: The Undiscovered Universe (Observing Challenge)
April 1-30: Lunar Explorations (Observing Challenge)
April 1-30: Shoot for the Moon (Observing Challenge)
April 4: Online Messier Marathon (Online Observing Event)
April 4-10: International Dark Sky Week 2016
April 9: OPTICKS
April 10-11: The Moon plows through the Hyades (Observing Challenge)
April 10-24: Mars the Wanderer (Observing Challenge)
April 16: Global Star Party for GAM 2016
April 18-24: Diverse Universe Week
April 18: Faces of Astronomy
April 19: Astrophotography: The quest for the perfect picture (Live Hangout)
April 24: SunDay
April 28: Cosmic Concert for GAM 2016
April 29 – May 8: Globe at Night
May 9: Transit of Mercury

You might find a star party or other event near you at EarthSky’s list of events: Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops

To add an event to EarthSky’s list, please contact us here.

Bottom line: April, 2016, is Global Astronomy Month 2016 (#GAM2016), organized by Astronomers Without Borders, who motto is One People One Sky.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1SAIUU7

Notice the tilt in Saturn’s rings

Composite image by Scott McNeill

Scott McNeill at Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, Rhode Island, posted this image at EarthSky Photo on G+. He wrote:

Hey Earthsky! Here is a collection of photos I have taken of Saturn from 2012 – 2015 showcasing the change in Saturn’s tilt from our point of view.

I’m gearing up for a 2016 shot soon …

When Scott does catch his next photo of Saturn – which is rising earlier each evening now in the months before its coming June 3 opposition – he’ll find the rings of Saturn even more open – with more of their north face showing toward Earth – than they were in 2015. Saturn’s rings are inclined at a little more than 26 degrees from edge-on in March 2016.

Next year, in October 2017, the rings will be at their widest open, displaying a maximum inclination of 27 degrees.

As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27 degrees by May, 2032.

Thank you, Scott!

Composite image by Scott McNeill

Bottom line: A composite image showing four years of Saturn and its rings. You can see that the rings are now opening with respect to Earth, showing us more and more of their northern face each year. Maximum openness will come in October, 2017, and then the rings – as seen from our earthly perspective – will begin to close again.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1UEmBR2

Composite image by Scott McNeill

Scott McNeill at Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, Rhode Island, posted this image at EarthSky Photo on G+. He wrote:

Hey Earthsky! Here is a collection of photos I have taken of Saturn from 2012 – 2015 showcasing the change in Saturn’s tilt from our point of view.

I’m gearing up for a 2016 shot soon …

When Scott does catch his next photo of Saturn – which is rising earlier each evening now in the months before its coming June 3 opposition – he’ll find the rings of Saturn even more open – with more of their north face showing toward Earth – than they were in 2015. Saturn’s rings are inclined at a little more than 26 degrees from edge-on in March 2016.

Next year, in October 2017, the rings will be at their widest open, displaying a maximum inclination of 27 degrees.

As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27 degrees by May, 2032.

Thank you, Scott!

Composite image by Scott McNeill

Bottom line: A composite image showing four years of Saturn and its rings. You can see that the rings are now opening with respect to Earth, showing us more and more of their northern face each year. Maximum openness will come in October, 2017, and then the rings – as seen from our earthly perspective – will begin to close again.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1UEmBR2

Zodiacal light juts upward to Taurus

The mysterious zodiacal light is often visible after dusk or before dawn from the tropical regions of the world. But at temperate latitudes in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, your best chance of catching the zodiacal light in the evening sky is in late winter and early spring – or for the few months centered on the spring equinox.

Since the recent March equinox is the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox, right now is the right time for northerners to spot the zodiacal light in the western sky after all traces of evening twilight have disappeared. Look westward, in the direction of sunset, some 80 to 120 minutes after sundown.

From the Southern Hemisphere … your best chance to spot the zodiacal light is in the morning sky now. Look for it in the east before sunup if you live at southerly temperate latitudes – or better yet, wait until the moon wanes to a smaller crescent – and finally exits the morning sky – a few days from now. The zodiacal light with a waning crescent moon in its midst can be a lovely sight!

Back to the Northern Hemisphere’s evening view … Taurus is a constellation of the Zodiac, so during a Northern Hemisphere spring, northerners can use Taurus’ two most prominent signposts – the star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster – to help guide you to the zodiacal light in the western sky.

Because the zodiacal light juts upward from the horizon and streams through the constellations of the Zodiac, Taurus serves as your faithful guide to this elusive, glowing pyramid.

Zodiacal light is visible to our eye because it is composed of interplanetary dust particles that reflect the light of the sun. Because these dust particles circle the sun in nearly the same plane that Earth does, the zodiacal light is always seen running astride the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.

So, if you live at northerly latitudes, look for the zodiacal light to point in the direction of Taurus some 80 to 120 minutes after sunset.

Bottom line: For some weeks around the March equinox, the glowing pyramid of light known as the zodiacal light is best seen in the west after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere, and the east before dawn from the Southern Hemisphere.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1TkaS8O

The mysterious zodiacal light is often visible after dusk or before dawn from the tropical regions of the world. But at temperate latitudes in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, your best chance of catching the zodiacal light in the evening sky is in late winter and early spring – or for the few months centered on the spring equinox.

Since the recent March equinox is the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox, right now is the right time for northerners to spot the zodiacal light in the western sky after all traces of evening twilight have disappeared. Look westward, in the direction of sunset, some 80 to 120 minutes after sundown.

From the Southern Hemisphere … your best chance to spot the zodiacal light is in the morning sky now. Look for it in the east before sunup if you live at southerly temperate latitudes – or better yet, wait until the moon wanes to a smaller crescent – and finally exits the morning sky – a few days from now. The zodiacal light with a waning crescent moon in its midst can be a lovely sight!

Back to the Northern Hemisphere’s evening view … Taurus is a constellation of the Zodiac, so during a Northern Hemisphere spring, northerners can use Taurus’ two most prominent signposts – the star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster – to help guide you to the zodiacal light in the western sky.

Because the zodiacal light juts upward from the horizon and streams through the constellations of the Zodiac, Taurus serves as your faithful guide to this elusive, glowing pyramid.

Zodiacal light is visible to our eye because it is composed of interplanetary dust particles that reflect the light of the sun. Because these dust particles circle the sun in nearly the same plane that Earth does, the zodiacal light is always seen running astride the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.

So, if you live at northerly latitudes, look for the zodiacal light to point in the direction of Taurus some 80 to 120 minutes after sunset.

Bottom line: For some weeks around the March equinox, the glowing pyramid of light known as the zodiacal light is best seen in the west after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere, and the east before dawn from the Southern Hemisphere.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1TkaS8O

Why is 2016 smashing heat records?

Yet another global heat record has been beaten. It appears January 2016 - the most abnormally hot month in history, according to Nasa - will be comprehensively trounced once official figures come in for February.

Initial satellite measurements, compiled by Eric Holthaus at Slate, put February’s anomaly from the pre-industrial average between 1.15C and 1.4C. The UN Paris climate agreement struck in December seeks to limit warming to 1.5C if possible.

“Even the lower part of that range is extraordinary,” said Will Steffen, an emeritus professor of climate science at Australian National University and a councillor at Australia’s Climate Council.

It appears that on Wednesday, the northern hemisphere even slipped above the milestone 2C average for the first time in recorded history. This is the arbitrary limit above which scientists believe global temperature rise will be “dangerous”.

The Arctic in particular experienced terrific warmth throughout the winter. Temperatures at the north pole approached 0C in late December – 30C to 35C above average.

Mark Serreze, the director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre, described the conditions as “absurd”.

“The heat has been unrelenting over the entire season,” he said. “I’ve been studying Arctic climate for 35 years and have never seen anything like this before”.

All this weirdness follows the record-smashing year of 2015, which was 0.9C above the 20th century average. This beat the previous record warmth of 2014 by 0.16C.

Global land and ocean temperature anomalies, January-December. Photograph: Noaa

These tumbling temperature records are often accompanied in media reports by the caveat that we are experiencing a particularly strong El Niño - perhaps the largest in history. But should El Niño and climate change be given equal billing?

No, according to Professor Michael Mann, the director of Penn State Earth System Science Centre. He said it was possible to look back over the temperature records and assess the impact of an El Niño on global temperatures.

“A number of folks have done this,” he said, “and come to the conclusion it was responsible for less than 0.1C of the anomalous warmth. In other words, we would have set an all-time global temperature record [in 2015] even without any help from El Niño.”

Global surface temperature is the major yardstick used to track how we are changing the climate. It is the average the UN Paris agreement refers to.

But the atmosphere doesn’t stop at the surface. In fact 93% of the extra energy trapped by the greenhouse gases humans have emitted gets sunk into the oceans – just 1% ends up in the atmosphere where temperature is most often and most thoroughly measured. During El Niño, which occurs every three to six years, currents in the Pacific Ocean bring warm water to the surface and heat up the air.

Jeff Knight from the Met Office’s Hadley Centre, said their modelling set the additional heat from a big El Niño, like the current one, at about 0.2C. He said wind patterns in the northern hemisphere had added another 0.1C to recent monthly readings.

“The bottom line is that the contributions of the current El Niño and wind patterns to the very warm conditions globally over the last couple of months are relatively small compared to the anthropogenically driven increase in global temperature since pre-industrial times,” he added.

Steffen said the definitive assessment of this El Niño and its effect on the world’s temperature would only be possible once the event had run its course (it has now peaked and is expected to end in the second quarter of this year). But he agreed that past El Niño cycles could be an appropriate guide for the order of magnitude of the effect.

The picture becomes less clear cut when we talk about monthly records. Even weather trends can have small effects on the monthly average temperature, said Knight. The effect of El Niño traditionally increases as it dies, so Mann believes it may have added more than the “nominal” o.1C during the past three months.

In the Arctic, the effect of El Niño is poorly understood but likely to be weak, said Knight. “Given that the Arctic has been very warm for a number of years, with record low sea ice, it is more likely that the warmth there currently is part of a long-term trend rather than the response to a episodic event like El Niño.”

Steffen says quantifying the relative contributions of El Niño and climate change on a monthly or even annual basis cannot help to answer how fast the world is warming. Only trends over 30 years really matter.

But the pile up of records we have had in the early part of this century are significant. All things being constant, record hot years should occur once every 150 years. Yet 1998, 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2015 have all been record breakers.

A study published in January found that even without last year’s mammoth anomaly such a run was 600 to 130,000 times more likely to have occurred with human interference than without.

Click here to read the rest

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/1V7DamU

Yet another global heat record has been beaten. It appears January 2016 - the most abnormally hot month in history, according to Nasa - will be comprehensively trounced once official figures come in for February.

Initial satellite measurements, compiled by Eric Holthaus at Slate, put February’s anomaly from the pre-industrial average between 1.15C and 1.4C. The UN Paris climate agreement struck in December seeks to limit warming to 1.5C if possible.

“Even the lower part of that range is extraordinary,” said Will Steffen, an emeritus professor of climate science at Australian National University and a councillor at Australia’s Climate Council.

It appears that on Wednesday, the northern hemisphere even slipped above the milestone 2C average for the first time in recorded history. This is the arbitrary limit above which scientists believe global temperature rise will be “dangerous”.

The Arctic in particular experienced terrific warmth throughout the winter. Temperatures at the north pole approached 0C in late December – 30C to 35C above average.

Mark Serreze, the director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre, described the conditions as “absurd”.

“The heat has been unrelenting over the entire season,” he said. “I’ve been studying Arctic climate for 35 years and have never seen anything like this before”.

All this weirdness follows the record-smashing year of 2015, which was 0.9C above the 20th century average. This beat the previous record warmth of 2014 by 0.16C.

Global land and ocean temperature anomalies, January-December. Photograph: Noaa

These tumbling temperature records are often accompanied in media reports by the caveat that we are experiencing a particularly strong El Niño - perhaps the largest in history. But should El Niño and climate change be given equal billing?

No, according to Professor Michael Mann, the director of Penn State Earth System Science Centre. He said it was possible to look back over the temperature records and assess the impact of an El Niño on global temperatures.

“A number of folks have done this,” he said, “and come to the conclusion it was responsible for less than 0.1C of the anomalous warmth. In other words, we would have set an all-time global temperature record [in 2015] even without any help from El Niño.”

Global surface temperature is the major yardstick used to track how we are changing the climate. It is the average the UN Paris agreement refers to.

But the atmosphere doesn’t stop at the surface. In fact 93% of the extra energy trapped by the greenhouse gases humans have emitted gets sunk into the oceans – just 1% ends up in the atmosphere where temperature is most often and most thoroughly measured. During El Niño, which occurs every three to six years, currents in the Pacific Ocean bring warm water to the surface and heat up the air.

Jeff Knight from the Met Office’s Hadley Centre, said their modelling set the additional heat from a big El Niño, like the current one, at about 0.2C. He said wind patterns in the northern hemisphere had added another 0.1C to recent monthly readings.

“The bottom line is that the contributions of the current El Niño and wind patterns to the very warm conditions globally over the last couple of months are relatively small compared to the anthropogenically driven increase in global temperature since pre-industrial times,” he added.

Steffen said the definitive assessment of this El Niño and its effect on the world’s temperature would only be possible once the event had run its course (it has now peaked and is expected to end in the second quarter of this year). But he agreed that past El Niño cycles could be an appropriate guide for the order of magnitude of the effect.

The picture becomes less clear cut when we talk about monthly records. Even weather trends can have small effects on the monthly average temperature, said Knight. The effect of El Niño traditionally increases as it dies, so Mann believes it may have added more than the “nominal” o.1C during the past three months.

In the Arctic, the effect of El Niño is poorly understood but likely to be weak, said Knight. “Given that the Arctic has been very warm for a number of years, with record low sea ice, it is more likely that the warmth there currently is part of a long-term trend rather than the response to a episodic event like El Niño.”

Steffen says quantifying the relative contributions of El Niño and climate change on a monthly or even annual basis cannot help to answer how fast the world is warming. Only trends over 30 years really matter.

But the pile up of records we have had in the early part of this century are significant. All things being constant, record hot years should occur once every 150 years. Yet 1998, 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2015 have all been record breakers.

A study published in January found that even without last year’s mammoth anomaly such a run was 600 to 130,000 times more likely to have occurred with human interference than without.

Click here to read the rest

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/1V7DamU