Bioluminescent surf in Tasmania

Photo by Paul Fleming (lovethywalrus on Instagram). Used with permission.

Check out this photo from Tasmania, an island state off Australia’s south coast, which had an awesome display of bioluminescence in May. Paul Fleming posted this photo on his Instagram page in mid-May, 2015. He wrote:

Something a little different – ever been in water that sparkles and glows? For the past week, some beaches in southern Tasmania have been illuminating this awesome blue; thanks to noctiluca scintillans, a bioluminescent phytoplankton! Yep, the color and light is 100% natural. Pretty neat, eh! Commonly referred to as ‘sea sparkles’, it’s exactly as that name suggests: stir up the water, or watch the waves, and the water glistens, glows and absolutely sparkles!

And don’t miss the video below, also by Paul Fleming, captured as he walked through the bioluminescent waves.

Thanks for giving us permission to post your work, Paul!

By the way, bioluminescent life forms make their own light and carry it in their bodies. Fireflies are another, perhaps more commonly seen example.

In the oceans of our world, many creatures are bioluminescent. Just as fireflies use their lit-up abdomens to send mating signals and other forms of communication, so bioluminescent creatures of the deep use their internal ability to create light to warn or evade predators, lure or detect prey, and communicate between species members.

Noctiluca scintillans is amazing to see. This is a species of dinoflagellate, though, a kind of plankton linked to fish and marine invertebrate kills. A University of Tasmania website saidL

No toxic effects are known, but it is possible that the high ammonia content … irritates fish, which generally avoid the bloom areas. Noctiluca has been known to bloom extensively off the east and west coasts of India, where it has been implicated in the decline of fisheries.

Strongly buoyant, balloon-shaped cell of marine plankton known as noctiluca scintillans. Image via University of Tasmania

Bottom line: The beaches around Tasmania, off Australia’s south coast, had a strong display of bioluminescence in May, 2015. Photo and a video by Paul Fleming, here.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1K3R7go

Photo by Paul Fleming (lovethywalrus on Instagram). Used with permission.

Check out this photo from Tasmania, an island state off Australia’s south coast, which had an awesome display of bioluminescence in May. Paul Fleming posted this photo on his Instagram page in mid-May, 2015. He wrote:

Something a little different – ever been in water that sparkles and glows? For the past week, some beaches in southern Tasmania have been illuminating this awesome blue; thanks to noctiluca scintillans, a bioluminescent phytoplankton! Yep, the color and light is 100% natural. Pretty neat, eh! Commonly referred to as ‘sea sparkles’, it’s exactly as that name suggests: stir up the water, or watch the waves, and the water glistens, glows and absolutely sparkles!

And don’t miss the video below, also by Paul Fleming, captured as he walked through the bioluminescent waves.

Thanks for giving us permission to post your work, Paul!

By the way, bioluminescent life forms make their own light and carry it in their bodies. Fireflies are another, perhaps more commonly seen example.

In the oceans of our world, many creatures are bioluminescent. Just as fireflies use their lit-up abdomens to send mating signals and other forms of communication, so bioluminescent creatures of the deep use their internal ability to create light to warn or evade predators, lure or detect prey, and communicate between species members.

Noctiluca scintillans is amazing to see. This is a species of dinoflagellate, though, a kind of plankton linked to fish and marine invertebrate kills. A University of Tasmania website saidL

No toxic effects are known, but it is possible that the high ammonia content … irritates fish, which generally avoid the bloom areas. Noctiluca has been known to bloom extensively off the east and west coasts of India, where it has been implicated in the decline of fisheries.

Strongly buoyant, balloon-shaped cell of marine plankton known as noctiluca scintillans. Image via University of Tasmania

Bottom line: The beaches around Tasmania, off Australia’s south coast, had a strong display of bioluminescence in May, 2015. Photo and a video by Paul Fleming, here.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1K3R7go

In Memoriam: Wallace Sampson, MD [Respectful Insolence]

I have some sad news for my readers today. It’s even sadder given that it’s only been two and a half weeks since I last had to mourn the passing of one of our own, a champion of science-based medicine, a regular commenter of five years, lilady. Unfortunately, this time around, it is my sad duty to inform you that Dr. Wallace Sampson has passed away at the age of 85. I knew about it late last week, but I wanted to wait until official obituaries were published, such as this one in the Mercury News.

I first encountered Wally (as his friends called him) through his writings deconstructing various forms of quackery on websites like Quackwatch and warning how unscientific medicine was worming its way into medical academia. (Indeed, his 2003 article on the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, now known as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, was one of the earliest articles I read that convinced me that this sham of an abomination of a waste of taxpayer dollars must be defunded.) It was something that I had a hard time believing at first, but his writings and warnings both alarmed and educated me. They were a major influence on my development as a skeptic. Later, when my not-so-super-secret other blog was formed, I found myself having the opportunity to work with Wally as one of the founding bloggers there. Although he had a bit of difficulty adjusting to the style and culture of blogging, I did my best to help teach him the ropes. In turn, he served as the voice of experience, the man with the in-depth personal knowledge of history that we needed. Even though it’s true that we butted heads on a couple of occasions, I never doubted his dedication to science-based medicine. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, Wally had problems with his health and keeping up with a weekly publishing schedule; so unfortunately he could no longer provide regular material.

Wally Sampson was an inspiration whose efforts predated mine by decades. He made his name in the anti-quackery movement back in the 1970s, when I was a teenager. Long before his tenure at Science-Based Medicine, he was the founding editor of the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine and a founding member of the Bay Area Skeptics. He edited a book, Science Meets Alternative Medicine: What the Evidence Says about Unconventional Treatments. What’s little known about him is that he was one of the earliest skeptics involved in showing that laetrile was ineffective, even testifying in front of the FDA, and he stated that there is no dichotomy between “Eastern” and “Western” medicine long before I ever started saying it. There’s even a PBS special, A Day with Wally Sampson, where he discussed alternative medicine.

Sadly, Wally spent the last three months of his life in the hospital after complications from heart surgery. I learned from one of his family members that eventually after his long hospital course he realized that he wasn’t getting better and would probably never leave the hospital; so he asked for palliative care only and died on Memorial Day. Truly, a giant of medical skepticism has left us. We will not soon see his like again. The best I or anyone else can do is to try to carry on and hope that we can accomplish in the time we have left half of what he did.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1SPK1QD

I have some sad news for my readers today. It’s even sadder given that it’s only been two and a half weeks since I last had to mourn the passing of one of our own, a champion of science-based medicine, a regular commenter of five years, lilady. Unfortunately, this time around, it is my sad duty to inform you that Dr. Wallace Sampson has passed away at the age of 85. I knew about it late last week, but I wanted to wait until official obituaries were published, such as this one in the Mercury News.

I first encountered Wally (as his friends called him) through his writings deconstructing various forms of quackery on websites like Quackwatch and warning how unscientific medicine was worming its way into medical academia. (Indeed, his 2003 article on the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, now known as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, was one of the earliest articles I read that convinced me that this sham of an abomination of a waste of taxpayer dollars must be defunded.) It was something that I had a hard time believing at first, but his writings and warnings both alarmed and educated me. They were a major influence on my development as a skeptic. Later, when my not-so-super-secret other blog was formed, I found myself having the opportunity to work with Wally as one of the founding bloggers there. Although he had a bit of difficulty adjusting to the style and culture of blogging, I did my best to help teach him the ropes. In turn, he served as the voice of experience, the man with the in-depth personal knowledge of history that we needed. Even though it’s true that we butted heads on a couple of occasions, I never doubted his dedication to science-based medicine. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, Wally had problems with his health and keeping up with a weekly publishing schedule; so unfortunately he could no longer provide regular material.

Wally Sampson was an inspiration whose efforts predated mine by decades. He made his name in the anti-quackery movement back in the 1970s, when I was a teenager. Long before his tenure at Science-Based Medicine, he was the founding editor of the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine and a founding member of the Bay Area Skeptics. He edited a book, Science Meets Alternative Medicine: What the Evidence Says about Unconventional Treatments. What’s little known about him is that he was one of the earliest skeptics involved in showing that laetrile was ineffective, even testifying in front of the FDA, and he stated that there is no dichotomy between “Eastern” and “Western” medicine long before I ever started saying it. There’s even a PBS special, A Day with Wally Sampson, where he discussed alternative medicine.

Sadly, Wally spent the last three months of his life in the hospital after complications from heart surgery. I learned from one of his family members that eventually after his long hospital course he realized that he wasn’t getting better and would probably never leave the hospital; so he asked for palliative care only and died on Memorial Day. Truly, a giant of medical skepticism has left us. We will not soon see his like again. The best I or anyone else can do is to try to carry on and hope that we can accomplish in the time we have left half of what he did.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1SPK1QD

June 1 moon is nearly full

Tonight – June 1, 2015 – the moon may appear full to you, but it’s actually a day away from full moon. Despite the lunar glare, you might be able to see the planet Saturn and the star Antares close to the moon tonight.

Despite the lunar glare, you might see the planet Saturn and the star Antares close to tonight’s almost-full moon.

The moon appears full to the eye for several nights in a row, but the crest of the moon’s full phase takes place at a well-defined instant. The moon turns astronomically full – resides most directly opposite the sun for the month – on June 2, 2015 at 16:19 Universal Time. At U.S. time zones, that means the moon will turn full on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:19 p.m. EDT, 11:19 a.m. CDT, 10:11 p.m. MDT or 19:19 p.m. PDT.

We in North America won’t see the moon at the instant of the June 2015 full moon because we won’t be on the nighttime side of Earth as the moon is precisely full.

But – since the moon always rises around the time of sunset, and sets at sunrise, around the time of every full moon – everyone on Earth will enjoy a full-looking, round, bright moon in the sky on these early June, 2015 nights.

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of the June 2015 full moon (2015 June 2 at 16:19 Universal Time).

In North America, we will call this June full moon the Strawberry Moon. The June full moon travels low as seen from the Northern Hemisphere (and high as seen from the Southern Hemisphere) as it journeys from east to west across the sky throughout the night. In fact, the June full moon mimics the path of the December sun.

So this full moon will ride especially low for us in the Northern Hemisphere, because it comes so near the June summer solstice. Why? Simply because the full moon, by definition, lies opposite – or nearly opposite – the sun. Sun rides high in summer … full moon rides low. At every full moon, the moon stands more or less opposite the sun in our sky. That’s why the moon looks full.

As seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, the June full moon – like the December sun – will rise far south of due east and set far south of due west. North of the Arctic Circle, the June full moon – like the winter sun – will be too far south to climb above the horizon.

Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere – where it’s close to their June winter solstice – the June full moon will mimic the December sun, arcing high in the heavens. South of the Antarctic Circle, the moon will simulate the midnight sun – up all hours around the clock.

This year’s June solstice falls on June 21, at 16:38 Universal Time. It’s the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. This solstice is also called the northern solstice, because the sun reaches its northernmost point for the year for all of us on this special day.

Bottom line: In 2015, the moon is full on June 2 at 16:19 UTC. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the full moon takes a low path across the sky. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, notice the high path of the full moon of June.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/UCrbms

Tonight – June 1, 2015 – the moon may appear full to you, but it’s actually a day away from full moon. Despite the lunar glare, you might be able to see the planet Saturn and the star Antares close to the moon tonight.

Despite the lunar glare, you might see the planet Saturn and the star Antares close to tonight’s almost-full moon.

The moon appears full to the eye for several nights in a row, but the crest of the moon’s full phase takes place at a well-defined instant. The moon turns astronomically full – resides most directly opposite the sun for the month – on June 2, 2015 at 16:19 Universal Time. At U.S. time zones, that means the moon will turn full on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:19 p.m. EDT, 11:19 a.m. CDT, 10:11 p.m. MDT or 19:19 p.m. PDT.

We in North America won’t see the moon at the instant of the June 2015 full moon because we won’t be on the nighttime side of Earth as the moon is precisely full.

But – since the moon always rises around the time of sunset, and sets at sunrise, around the time of every full moon – everyone on Earth will enjoy a full-looking, round, bright moon in the sky on these early June, 2015 nights.

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of the June 2015 full moon (2015 June 2 at 16:19 Universal Time).

In North America, we will call this June full moon the Strawberry Moon. The June full moon travels low as seen from the Northern Hemisphere (and high as seen from the Southern Hemisphere) as it journeys from east to west across the sky throughout the night. In fact, the June full moon mimics the path of the December sun.

So this full moon will ride especially low for us in the Northern Hemisphere, because it comes so near the June summer solstice. Why? Simply because the full moon, by definition, lies opposite – or nearly opposite – the sun. Sun rides high in summer … full moon rides low. At every full moon, the moon stands more or less opposite the sun in our sky. That’s why the moon looks full.

As seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, the June full moon – like the December sun – will rise far south of due east and set far south of due west. North of the Arctic Circle, the June full moon – like the winter sun – will be too far south to climb above the horizon.

Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere – where it’s close to their June winter solstice – the June full moon will mimic the December sun, arcing high in the heavens. South of the Antarctic Circle, the moon will simulate the midnight sun – up all hours around the clock.

This year’s June solstice falls on June 21, at 16:38 Universal Time. It’s the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. This solstice is also called the northern solstice, because the sun reaches its northernmost point for the year for all of us on this special day.

Bottom line: In 2015, the moon is full on June 2 at 16:19 UTC. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the full moon takes a low path across the sky. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, notice the high path of the full moon of June.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/UCrbms

Sunday Chess Problem [EvolutionBlog]

For the past two weeks we have looked at calm, sane direct mate problems. Good stuff, but it’s time to mix it up a little. So this week we return to the crazy world of fairy chess. We shall consider a relatively new fairy condition called “Take and Make,” which has taken the problem world by storm over the last few years. I was a little skeptical at first, since it seemed a little too contrived to me, but I have gradually become a convert. There is a lot of room for intriguing themes with it.

Here’s how it works. In Take and Make chess, when a unit of either color makes a capture, it must immediately, as part of its move, make a non-capturing step in imitation of the unit it just captured. (That is, you Take a piece, and then Make a move in imitation of that piece.) So, if a rook takes a knight, the rook would immediately make a knight hop starting from the square on which the knight formerly resided. If no such imitation move is possible, then the capture is impossible. Note that the “Make” step is part of the move. This means a king can take a protected piece without walking into check, since his move is not complete until the imitation move is made. Checks are as in normal chess however. After the hypothetical capture of the king, the capturing piece is not then expected to carry out the “Make” step.

Weird stuff, but all will become clear when we look at this week’s problem. As a warm-up, have a look at this position:

If you understand that this position is checkmate, then you have the hang of Take and Make. The black king is in check from the white pawn on g4. At first blush it looks like black has two ways out, but actually neither of them work. If he takes the pawn on g4, then the black king will immediately have to make a move as if he were a white pawn. But the only such move takes him to g5, and on that square he is in check from the white pawn on h4. Likewise, if the black king takes the pawn on h4 he again needs to make a move in imitation of a white pawn. The only such move takes him to h5, and on that square he is in check from the pawn on g4.

So it is checkmate.

Now here’s this week’s problem. It was composed by Chris Feather in 2014. The stipulation is helpmate in two:

Actually, this problem has a twin, which is something we haven’t seen before. After you solve the diagram, you should move the black pawn from f6 to f5. Now you have another helpmate in two. Of course, we will expect the solutions to the two parts to be related in some way.

Recall that in a helpmate black moves first. White and black cooperate to create a situation in which black is mated. Thus, we are looking for a sequence of this general sort: Black moves, white moves, black moves, white gives mate. Remember, black is helping white here. He wants to get mated!

A quick glance at the position reveals that white has two different batteries pointed at the black king. If either knight moves, it will discover check from either the rook or the bishop. This makes us suspect that the solution will involve firing these batteries at the proper moment. Indeed we will, but not before a rather big shock!

We shall go through the first solution slowly, to make sure we have a grip on the Take and Make rule. Black will start by capturing the white knight on e5. He is not placing himself in check from the white bishop, because his move is not yet complete. After capturing, the black king immediately makes a non-capturing knight hop of his choosing, which he does by moving to g4. We can write this as 1. Kxe5-g4. The position is now this:

The next two moves are 1. … Rxa4-d7 2. Kxf4-d2, leading to this position:

Do you see the point? White still has a rook/knight battery, but the direction of the battery has reversed itself. White now completes his task with 2. … Nxb6-b5 mate.

Pretty neat. Now let’s consider the twin. We move the pawn from f6 to f5, so that we are now starting with this position:

If you suspect that the white bishop/knight battery is going to reverse itself, you’re right! Let’s see how it happens. Play begins 1. Kxd5-c3 Bxh6-d6 2. Kxd4-f4

As promised, the battery has reversed itself. And now 2. … Nxf7-f6 mate.

Very nice! There is tremendous unity here. In each part black’s king captures both pieces of one of white’s batteries, so that his king can get where it needs to be. White’s first move involves relocating the rear piece of a battery to a new location in the same line, while his second move his a knight capturing a pawn to give mate.

So what do you think? Would you like to see more problems with this condition, or is it just a little too weird?

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1BAn1dl

For the past two weeks we have looked at calm, sane direct mate problems. Good stuff, but it’s time to mix it up a little. So this week we return to the crazy world of fairy chess. We shall consider a relatively new fairy condition called “Take and Make,” which has taken the problem world by storm over the last few years. I was a little skeptical at first, since it seemed a little too contrived to me, but I have gradually become a convert. There is a lot of room for intriguing themes with it.

Here’s how it works. In Take and Make chess, when a unit of either color makes a capture, it must immediately, as part of its move, make a non-capturing step in imitation of the unit it just captured. (That is, you Take a piece, and then Make a move in imitation of that piece.) So, if a rook takes a knight, the rook would immediately make a knight hop starting from the square on which the knight formerly resided. If no such imitation move is possible, then the capture is impossible. Note that the “Make” step is part of the move. This means a king can take a protected piece without walking into check, since his move is not complete until the imitation move is made. Checks are as in normal chess however. After the hypothetical capture of the king, the capturing piece is not then expected to carry out the “Make” step.

Weird stuff, but all will become clear when we look at this week’s problem. As a warm-up, have a look at this position:

If you understand that this position is checkmate, then you have the hang of Take and Make. The black king is in check from the white pawn on g4. At first blush it looks like black has two ways out, but actually neither of them work. If he takes the pawn on g4, then the black king will immediately have to make a move as if he were a white pawn. But the only such move takes him to g5, and on that square he is in check from the white pawn on h4. Likewise, if the black king takes the pawn on h4 he again needs to make a move in imitation of a white pawn. The only such move takes him to h5, and on that square he is in check from the pawn on g4.

So it is checkmate.

Now here’s this week’s problem. It was composed by Chris Feather in 2014. The stipulation is helpmate in two:

Actually, this problem has a twin, which is something we haven’t seen before. After you solve the diagram, you should move the black pawn from f6 to f5. Now you have another helpmate in two. Of course, we will expect the solutions to the two parts to be related in some way.

Recall that in a helpmate black moves first. White and black cooperate to create a situation in which black is mated. Thus, we are looking for a sequence of this general sort: Black moves, white moves, black moves, white gives mate. Remember, black is helping white here. He wants to get mated!

A quick glance at the position reveals that white has two different batteries pointed at the black king. If either knight moves, it will discover check from either the rook or the bishop. This makes us suspect that the solution will involve firing these batteries at the proper moment. Indeed we will, but not before a rather big shock!

We shall go through the first solution slowly, to make sure we have a grip on the Take and Make rule. Black will start by capturing the white knight on e5. He is not placing himself in check from the white bishop, because his move is not yet complete. After capturing, the black king immediately makes a non-capturing knight hop of his choosing, which he does by moving to g4. We can write this as 1. Kxe5-g4. The position is now this:

The next two moves are 1. … Rxa4-d7 2. Kxf4-d2, leading to this position:

Do you see the point? White still has a rook/knight battery, but the direction of the battery has reversed itself. White now completes his task with 2. … Nxb6-b5 mate.

Pretty neat. Now let’s consider the twin. We move the pawn from f6 to f5, so that we are now starting with this position:

If you suspect that the white bishop/knight battery is going to reverse itself, you’re right! Let’s see how it happens. Play begins 1. Kxd5-c3 Bxh6-d6 2. Kxd4-f4

As promised, the battery has reversed itself. And now 2. … Nxf7-f6 mate.

Very nice! There is tremendous unity here. In each part black’s king captures both pieces of one of white’s batteries, so that his king can get where it needs to be. White’s first move involves relocating the rear piece of a battery to a new location in the same line, while his second move his a knight capturing a pawn to give mate.

So what do you think? Would you like to see more problems with this condition, or is it just a little too weird?

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1BAn1dl

Weekend Wonder: Keep The Universe Going! (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“The universe is big, its vast and complicated, and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles. And that’s the theory. 900 years, never seen one yet, but this would do me.” –Steven Moffat

They say that the best things in life are free, and I’m a firm believer in that. In fact, that’s part of the reason I think the stories I’m always telling — about the Universe, how it is, how we know it, and how it came to be — should be free as well. But I’m not going to lie: in terms of effort, time, energy, and (for my contributors) money, telling that story isn’t quite free at all.

Images courtesy of (clockwise, from top left) Paul Halpern, Amanda Yoho, Summer Ash, Jillian Scudder, Ethan Siegel, Sabine Hossenfelder, Brian Koberlein and James Bullock.

But I don’t want to just keep doing what I’m doing now; I want to enhance our offerings, create more and better things, and have this be the focus of my professional life. I can’t do it alone, though, and I can’t do it without your support. So for the first time, I’ve set up a Patreon, where everything I create will still be free and freely accessible to all, but if you can support me and my contributors, you’ll receive a reward. Here’s our intro video:

Now go learn about this new endeavor, and then — if you can afford it — make a small, monthly donation to us here!

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

“The universe is big, its vast and complicated, and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles. And that’s the theory. 900 years, never seen one yet, but this would do me.” –Steven Moffat

They say that the best things in life are free, and I’m a firm believer in that. In fact, that’s part of the reason I think the stories I’m always telling — about the Universe, how it is, how we know it, and how it came to be — should be free as well. But I’m not going to lie: in terms of effort, time, energy, and (for my contributors) money, telling that story isn’t quite free at all.

Images courtesy of (clockwise, from top left) Paul Halpern, Amanda Yoho, Summer Ash, Jillian Scudder, Ethan Siegel, Sabine Hossenfelder, Brian Koberlein and James Bullock.

But I don’t want to just keep doing what I’m doing now; I want to enhance our offerings, create more and better things, and have this be the focus of my professional life. I can’t do it alone, though, and I can’t do it without your support. So for the first time, I’ve set up a Patreon, where everything I create will still be free and freely accessible to all, but if you can support me and my contributors, you’ll receive a reward. Here’s our intro video:

Now go learn about this new endeavor, and then — if you can afford it — make a small, monthly donation to us here!

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

2015 SkS Weekly Digest #22

SkS Highlights

Making sense of the slowdown in global surface warming by Kevin C garnered the most comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Coming in a close second was John Mason's Spoiled ballots, spoiled views: an election snapshot from Powys, Wales, UK. 

El Niño Watch

Here’s What 2015’s Strong El Niño Means For This Year’s Hurricane Season by Natasha Geiling, Climate Progress, May 28, 2015

Is an El Niño next in pattern of treacherous weather? by Ben Tracy, CBS News, May 29, 2015

Toon of the Week

 

Hat tip to I Heart Climate Scientists

Quote of the Week

Andrew E. Dessler, a climate researcher at Texas A & M, compared the question of climate change and weather to trying to figure out which of Barry Bonds’s home runs were caused by his steroid use.

“You know statistically some of them were, but you don’t know which ones,” he said. “Almost certainly, it would have rained a lot even without climate change — but it’s possible climate change juiced it, added a little bit.”

Scientists warn to expect more weather extremes by John Schwartz, New York Times, May 27, 2015 

SkS in the News

In his letter-to-the-editor posted by the Augusta (GA) Free Press, Pete Kurtz touts the SkS website as a credible source of information about a prominent climate scince denier.

In his Guardian essay, How fossil fuel burning nearly wiped out life on Earth – 250m years ago, George Monbiot states:

The latest research into the catastrophe at the end of the Permian is summarised in two articles by the geologist John Mason on the Skeptical Science site. The strongest clues all seem to point to the same conclusion: that the extinctions were triggered by the eruption of an igneous belt even bigger than the Deccan plateau: the Siberian Traps. As well as CO2, the volcanoes there produced sulphur dioxide, chlorides and fluorides, causing acid rain and the depletion of ozone.

In his Vox post, Jeb Bush fumbles for "moderate" stance on climate, falls on face, David Roberts cites and links to the Intermediate version of the SkS Rebuttal article, The 97% consensus on global warming. 

In his Financial Post op-ed, Manufacturing doubt about climate consensus, John Cook sets the record staight about the TCP. 

Coming Soon on SkS

• The Carbon Brief interview: Prof Dame Julia Slingo OBE (Leo Hickman)
• Melting moments: a look under East Antarctica’s biggest glacier (Tas van Ommen)
• Video: scientists simulate the climate of The Hobbit's Middle Earth (Dana)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #23A (John Hartz)
• The Carbon Brief interview: Thomas Stocker (Roz Pidcock)
• Guest post (John Abraham)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #23B (John Hartz)
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #23 (John Hartz) 

Poster of the Week

 

SkS Week in Review

• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #22B by John Hartz
• Scientists discuss how strongly a warming Arctic is implicated in extreme weather by Robert McSweeney (Carbon Brief)
• Sea level is rising fast – and it seems to be speeding up by Christopher Watson, John Church, and Matt King (The Conversation AU)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #22A by John Hartz
• Memo to Jeb Bush: denying human-caused global warming is ignorant by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian)
• Making sense of the slowdown in global surface warming by Kevin C
• Spoiled ballots, spoiled views: an election snapshot from Powys, Wales, UK by John Mason
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #21 by John Hartz

97 Hours of Consensus: Reto Knutti

Reto Knutti's bio page

Quote derived with permission from author from:

"Climate change is a fact and humans are very likely responsible for most of it. Long term impacts will mostly be negative. On the positive side: Costs of mitigation, that is to reduce emissions, are smaller than those for prevented damages."

 

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/1ADF9IC

SkS Highlights

Making sense of the slowdown in global surface warming by Kevin C garnered the most comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Coming in a close second was John Mason's Spoiled ballots, spoiled views: an election snapshot from Powys, Wales, UK. 

El Niño Watch

Here’s What 2015’s Strong El Niño Means For This Year’s Hurricane Season by Natasha Geiling, Climate Progress, May 28, 2015

Is an El Niño next in pattern of treacherous weather? by Ben Tracy, CBS News, May 29, 2015

Toon of the Week

 

Hat tip to I Heart Climate Scientists

Quote of the Week

Andrew E. Dessler, a climate researcher at Texas A & M, compared the question of climate change and weather to trying to figure out which of Barry Bonds’s home runs were caused by his steroid use.

“You know statistically some of them were, but you don’t know which ones,” he said. “Almost certainly, it would have rained a lot even without climate change — but it’s possible climate change juiced it, added a little bit.”

Scientists warn to expect more weather extremes by John Schwartz, New York Times, May 27, 2015 

SkS in the News

In his letter-to-the-editor posted by the Augusta (GA) Free Press, Pete Kurtz touts the SkS website as a credible source of information about a prominent climate scince denier.

In his Guardian essay, How fossil fuel burning nearly wiped out life on Earth – 250m years ago, George Monbiot states:

The latest research into the catastrophe at the end of the Permian is summarised in two articles by the geologist John Mason on the Skeptical Science site. The strongest clues all seem to point to the same conclusion: that the extinctions were triggered by the eruption of an igneous belt even bigger than the Deccan plateau: the Siberian Traps. As well as CO2, the volcanoes there produced sulphur dioxide, chlorides and fluorides, causing acid rain and the depletion of ozone.

In his Vox post, Jeb Bush fumbles for "moderate" stance on climate, falls on face, David Roberts cites and links to the Intermediate version of the SkS Rebuttal article, The 97% consensus on global warming. 

In his Financial Post op-ed, Manufacturing doubt about climate consensus, John Cook sets the record staight about the TCP. 

Coming Soon on SkS

• The Carbon Brief interview: Prof Dame Julia Slingo OBE (Leo Hickman)
• Melting moments: a look under East Antarctica’s biggest glacier (Tas van Ommen)
• Video: scientists simulate the climate of The Hobbit's Middle Earth (Dana)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #23A (John Hartz)
• The Carbon Brief interview: Thomas Stocker (Roz Pidcock)
• Guest post (John Abraham)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #23B (John Hartz)
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #23 (John Hartz) 

Poster of the Week

 

SkS Week in Review

• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #22B by John Hartz
• Scientists discuss how strongly a warming Arctic is implicated in extreme weather by Robert McSweeney (Carbon Brief)
• Sea level is rising fast – and it seems to be speeding up by Christopher Watson, John Church, and Matt King (The Conversation AU)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #22A by John Hartz
• Memo to Jeb Bush: denying human-caused global warming is ignorant by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian)
• Making sense of the slowdown in global surface warming by Kevin C
• Spoiled ballots, spoiled views: an election snapshot from Powys, Wales, UK by John Mason
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #21 by John Hartz

97 Hours of Consensus: Reto Knutti

Reto Knutti's bio page

Quote derived with permission from author from:

"Climate change is a fact and humans are very likely responsible for most of it. Long term impacts will mostly be negative. On the positive side: Costs of mitigation, that is to reduce emissions, are smaller than those for prevented damages."

 

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/1ADF9IC

How do hurricanes get their names?

Ever wonder how hurricanes get their names? And why do hurricanes have names at all? Meteorologists long ago learned that naming tropical storms and hurricanes helps people remember the storms, communicate about them more effectively, and so stay safer if and when a particular storm strikes a coast. These experts assign names to hurricanes according to a formal list of names that is approved of prior to the start of each hurricane season. The U.S. National Hurricane Center started this practice in 1950. Now, the World Meteorological Organization generates and maintains the list of hurricane names. Find out more about hurricane names below.

How and why did hurricanes first begin receiving names?

When does a storm receive a name?

What are “hurricane name lists?”

What are the hurricane names for 2015?

How and why did hurricanes first begin receiving names? While people have been naming major storms for hundreds of years, most hurricanes were originally designated by a system of latitude-longitude numbers, which was useful to meteorologists trying to track these storms. Unfortunately, this system was confusing to people living on coasts seeking hurricane information.

In 1950, a formal practice for storm naming was first developed for the Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. At that time, storms were named according to a phonetic alphabet (e.g., Able, Baker, Charlie) and the names used were the same for each hurricane season; in other words, the first hurricane of a season was always named “Able,” the second “Baker,” and so on.

In 1953, to avoid the repetitive use of names, the system was revised so that storms would be named after female names. By doing this, the National Weather Service was mimicking the habit of Naval meteorologists, who named the storms after women, much as ships at sea were traditionally named for women.

In 1979, the system was revised again to include both female and male hurricane names.

See the complete history of naming hurricanes, from NOAA

When does a storm receive a name? Tropical storms are given names when they display a rotating circulation pattern and wind speeds of 39 miles per hour. A tropical storm develops into a hurricane when wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour.

What are “hurricane name lists?” Lists of hurricane names have been developed for many of the major ocean basins around the world. Today, there are six lists of hurricane names in use for Atlantic Ocean storms. These lists rotate, one each year. That means the list of this year’s hurricane names will come up again six years from now. There’s an exception to this practice, however. The names of hurricanes that are particularly damaging are retired for legal and historical reasons. For example, the use of the name Katrina was retired in 2005 following the devastating impact that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans.

See NOAA’s six lists of hurricane names for the Atlantic Ocean

A satellite image of Hurricane Katrina taken on August 29, 2005. Image Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

What are the hurricane names for 2015? Atlantic hurricane names for the 2015 season include Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, and Wanda.

Eastern North Pacific hurricane names for the 2015 season include Andres, Blanca, Carlos, Dolores, Enrique, Felicia, Guillermo, Hilda, Ignacio, Jimena, Kevin, Linda, Marty, Nora, Olaf, Patricia, Rick, Sandra, Terry, Vivian, Waldo, Xina, York, and Zelda.

Hurricanes in other ocean basins around the world, which are called tropical cyclones, are also given names. If you’re interested, you can view those names here.

Astronaut Ed Lu captured this view of Hurricane Isabel in 2003 from the International Space Station. Image via Mike Trenchard, NASA.

Bottom line: Hurricanes are given names according to a formal system that is managed by the World Meteorological Organization. Hurricane name lists are recycled after a period of years; in the case of the Atlantic Ocean, the lists are re-used every six years.

Close-up views of large hurricane on Saturn

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1kHu4LC

Ever wonder how hurricanes get their names? And why do hurricanes have names at all? Meteorologists long ago learned that naming tropical storms and hurricanes helps people remember the storms, communicate about them more effectively, and so stay safer if and when a particular storm strikes a coast. These experts assign names to hurricanes according to a formal list of names that is approved of prior to the start of each hurricane season. The U.S. National Hurricane Center started this practice in 1950. Now, the World Meteorological Organization generates and maintains the list of hurricane names. Find out more about hurricane names below.

How and why did hurricanes first begin receiving names?

When does a storm receive a name?

What are “hurricane name lists?”

What are the hurricane names for 2015?

How and why did hurricanes first begin receiving names? While people have been naming major storms for hundreds of years, most hurricanes were originally designated by a system of latitude-longitude numbers, which was useful to meteorologists trying to track these storms. Unfortunately, this system was confusing to people living on coasts seeking hurricane information.

In 1950, a formal practice for storm naming was first developed for the Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. At that time, storms were named according to a phonetic alphabet (e.g., Able, Baker, Charlie) and the names used were the same for each hurricane season; in other words, the first hurricane of a season was always named “Able,” the second “Baker,” and so on.

In 1953, to avoid the repetitive use of names, the system was revised so that storms would be named after female names. By doing this, the National Weather Service was mimicking the habit of Naval meteorologists, who named the storms after women, much as ships at sea were traditionally named for women.

In 1979, the system was revised again to include both female and male hurricane names.

See the complete history of naming hurricanes, from NOAA

When does a storm receive a name? Tropical storms are given names when they display a rotating circulation pattern and wind speeds of 39 miles per hour. A tropical storm develops into a hurricane when wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour.

What are “hurricane name lists?” Lists of hurricane names have been developed for many of the major ocean basins around the world. Today, there are six lists of hurricane names in use for Atlantic Ocean storms. These lists rotate, one each year. That means the list of this year’s hurricane names will come up again six years from now. There’s an exception to this practice, however. The names of hurricanes that are particularly damaging are retired for legal and historical reasons. For example, the use of the name Katrina was retired in 2005 following the devastating impact that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans.

See NOAA’s six lists of hurricane names for the Atlantic Ocean

A satellite image of Hurricane Katrina taken on August 29, 2005. Image Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

What are the hurricane names for 2015? Atlantic hurricane names for the 2015 season include Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, and Wanda.

Eastern North Pacific hurricane names for the 2015 season include Andres, Blanca, Carlos, Dolores, Enrique, Felicia, Guillermo, Hilda, Ignacio, Jimena, Kevin, Linda, Marty, Nora, Olaf, Patricia, Rick, Sandra, Terry, Vivian, Waldo, Xina, York, and Zelda.

Hurricanes in other ocean basins around the world, which are called tropical cyclones, are also given names. If you’re interested, you can view those names here.

Astronaut Ed Lu captured this view of Hurricane Isabel in 2003 from the International Space Station. Image via Mike Trenchard, NASA.

Bottom line: Hurricanes are given names according to a formal system that is managed by the World Meteorological Organization. Hurricane name lists are recycled after a period of years; in the case of the Atlantic Ocean, the lists are re-used every six years.

Close-up views of large hurricane on Saturn

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1kHu4LC