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Post by WingsofCrystal on Nov 16, 2018 13:34:02 GMT
Good morning lovely people,
Science Alert
Scientists Have Determined The Worst Year to Be Alive in Human History
MICHELLE STARR
16 NOV 2018
If someone asked you what the worst year in human history was, what would you guess? 1347 CE was pretty bad. That's the year the Black Death seriously hit Europe. Any of the years of the Holocaust, between 1941 and 1945. Or 1918, the year of the start of the flu pandemic that killed up to 100 million people.
As it turns out, the suckiest of all was a year most people have probably never even thought about: 536 CE.
"It was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year," Harvard University archaeologist and medieval historian Michael McCormick told Science Magazine. His team's new paper doesn't see signs of economic recovery until 640 CE.
536 was the 10th year of the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great, and nothing much was happening in the human sphere aside from regular boring skirmishes. No plagues (not yet, anyway), no unusually large genocides.
But something weird was happening in the sky: a mysterious, dusty fog appeared, blocking the Sun, causing temperatures to plunge and setting off years of around-the-world chaos - drought, crop failures, summertime snow in China, and widespread famine.
"And it came about during this year that a most dread portent took place," wrote Byzantine historian Procopius, "For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is accustomed to shed."
There's evidence to suggest that catastrophic volcanic eruptions are the culprit, not just in ice cores from Antarctica and tree rings from Greenland, but in the effects of later volcanic events, which also caused short-term global cooling and devastating famine.
Now a new, highly detailed ice core analysis of the Colle Gnifetti glacier on the border between Switzerland and Italy has yielded up new information about the century of woe into which the world was plunged.
Ice cores are a fantastic archaeological resource, since permanent ice deposits build up gradually, through annual snowfall. This means that you can find the ice deposit for any given year and look at what was happening in the atmosphere.
In the year 536 CE, volcanic ash and debris - called tephra - was mixed in with the ice layer, indicating a large volcanic event. Greenland and Antarctic ice cores showed evidence of a second eruption in 540 CE, which would have prolonged the misery. And then in 541, the Justinian Plague cropped up, and everything just went from bad to worse.
But in around 640 CE, the team noticed a sign of renewal in the ice: lead. Yeah, no, lead pollution isn't the best thing ever. It's what that lead pollution means: that humans had started mining and smelting silver from lead ore.
Then there was another spike in 660 CE, and another in 695 CE. Humans were minting silver coins.
"This unambiguously shows that, alongside any residual pool of Roman bullion and imported metal, new mining facilitated the production of the last post-Roman gold coins - debased with increasing amounts of silver - and the new silver coinages that replaced them," the researchers wrote in their paper.
"The high-resolution ice-core record offers a new and independent chronology for renewed silver production in the early medieval west."
In short, the economy was recovering - and it only took a hundred or so years. It's almost enough to make one terrified of volcanoes or something.
Interestingly, the ice core also shows a collapse in lead pollution in around 1349 to 1353. This coincides exactly with the chronology of the Black Death, and the researchers used it as a marker to determine that they were estimating the correct years for the volcanic markers and pollution spikes.
Pretty interesting what you can find out from a piece of old frozen water, hey?
The team's research has been published in the journal Antiquity www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/alpine-icecore-evidence-for-the-transformation-of-the-european-monetary-system-ad-640670/0727B4230C5DA92634B6251B9FBD3898
www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-determined-the-worst-year-in-human-history
Crystal
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Post by WingsofCrystal on Nov 16, 2018 13:44:01 GMT
UPI
Science News Nov. 15, 2018 / 1:52 PM
Portrait of interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua gets clearer in new NASA study
By Brooks Hays
Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Scientists have placed a new upper limit on the size of the interstellar object known as 'Oumuamua.
Newly analyzed data also suggests the alien visitor is 10 times more reflective than asteroids and comets found within the solar system.
Researchers published an updated portrait of 'Oumuamua this week in the Astronomical Journal.
Shortly after 'Oumuamua was spotted, astronomers around the world pointed telescopes in the direction of the interstellar traveler. Spitzer Telescope was one of several that tried to observe the icy migrant. But just two months after making its closet approach to Earth, 'Oumuamua proved too faint to register.
"'Oumuamua has been full of surprises from day one, so we were eager to see what Spitzer might show," David Trilling, professor of astronomy at Northern Arizona University, said in a news release. "The fact that 'Oumuamua was too small for Spitzer to detect is actually a very valuable result."
Spitzer's inability to see 'Oumuamua allowed scientists to put a more accurate upper limit on the object's size. Their analysis suggests the object is smaller than originally estimated.
Depending on the object's composition, 'Oumuamua's spherical diameter could be as small as 320 feet or as large as 1,440 feet.
The revelation confirms the hypothesis of an earlier study of outgassing forces exacted on the 'Oumuamua. The research showed the forces created by the sublimation of frozen gases could explain slight shifts in the object's trajectory, but the theory required 'Oumuamua to be relatively small.
In addition to being smaller, 'Oumuamua is also more reflective than most comets in the solar system.
By studying 'Oumuamua in infrared, scientists can gauge its temperature. Because an object's reflectivity, or albedo, affects its temperature, scientists can use infrared observations to estimate how much light the object's surface reflects. 'Oumuamua's estimated low temperature suggests it reflects much of the sunlight that hits its surface.
Researchers think 'Oumuamua's trip around the sun melted significant amounts of ice, revealing more reflective interior layers.
Earlier studies predicted 'Oumuamua's icy composition, while followup research suggested the object originated from a faraway binary star system. Scientists think the object has been tumbling around the universe for billions of years.
The updated portrait of 'Oumuamua may offer the last word on the interstellar object. It's currently on its way out of the solar system.
"Usually, if we get a measurement from a comet that's kind of weird, we go back and measure it again until we understand what we're seeing," said Davide Farnocchia, astronomer at the the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "But this one is gone forever; we probably know as much about it as we're ever going to know."
www.upi.com/Science_News/2018/11/15/Portrait-of-interstellar-visitor-Oumuamua-gets-clearer-in-new-NASA-study/4861542301436/
Crystal
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Post by swamprat on Nov 16, 2018 16:09:25 GMT
Aerial Support Key to Fighting Southern California Fires
Raging winds created major challenges for dedicated firefighters.
By Pia Bergqvist November 13, 2018
Watch video:
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=LvOyW_kTieI
As a resident of Agoura Hills, one of the communities evacuated as a result of the devastating Woolsey Fire, I was closely watching the progression of the fire as it quickly ravaged the hillsides surrounding our neighborhood. The fire flared up on Thursday afternoon and within less than 30 hours had burned through 70,000 acres, fueled by raging Santa Ana winds topping 50 mph.
The strong winds prevented aerial firefighters from attacking the flames. The only reason few homes in Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Calabasas burned on Thursday and Friday was because of the heroic efforts of firefighters on the ground. I watched with my family in horror as the flames came right up against the streets of our home and that of friends in the neighborhood.
The fire spread from the edge of Simi Valley all the way to the beach, where owners of large livestock such as horses and llamas kept their animals away from the flames as there was no way to evacuate them in trailers. The smoke clouds over Malibu were eerily similar to those of a massive thunderstorm. It was hard to believe that the clouds were not created by moisture, but by smoke from flames burning the hillsides and multi-million-dollar homes along with them.
The winds finally settled enough on Friday that the fires could be attacked from the skies and firefighters got a good hold on the devastation. A variety of firefighting aircraft, such as Skycranes, Superscoopers, Cobras, and a massive DC-10 (above video), could be seen dropping their loads on the flames. The precision was impressive and, as a result, the fires were slowly brought in check.
However, Santa Ana winds kicked up once again on Sunday and Monday, stoking hot spots in the burned areas. By Monday afternoon, 91,000 acres and more than 370 homes had burned in the Woolsey Fire alone. Another fire in northern California, the Camp Fired, burned 11,300 acres along with more than 6,400 buildings, the most devastating loss of structures in California history. 42 people died in the Camp Fire and two lost their lives in the Woolsey Fire. Those numbers are likely to rise. But I can’t imagine how much more devastating the loss would have been without the outstanding firefighters and pilots risking their lives to keep our neighborhoods safe.
www.flyingmag.com/aerial-support-key-to-fighting-southern-california-fires
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Post by swamprat on Nov 16, 2018 20:37:20 GMT
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Post by HAL on Nov 16, 2018 20:55:27 GMT
200+ missing. It is impossible to image being trapped in your car and knowing you are going to be burned alive. No question. It's too horrible to comprehend. My heart goes out to everyone involved in this. HAL  |
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Post by moksha on Nov 16, 2018 22:07:55 GMT
200+ missing. It is impossible to image being trapped in your car and knowing you are going to be burned alive. No question. It's too horrible to comprehend. My heart goes out to everyone involved in this. HAL It is a horrible thought HAL, has to be one of the worst ways to go. Here are some Sat. images, unreal.
OH BOY .
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Post by WingsofCrystal on Nov 17, 2018 10:24:06 GMT
Good morning lovely people,
Crystal
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2018 15:30:04 GMT
 People who walk backwards perform better in a memory test than those who stand still or walk forward, a study has found. Researchers asked 114 volunteers to watch a video in which a woman had her bag stolen and answer a questionnaire about what they could recall (stock) Experts from the University of Roehampton discovered a similar effect in five variations of the experiment. One of them involved a similar procedure but tested how many words the volunteers could remember from a list. In others, participants simply imagined moving forwards or backwards, or watched a video filmed on a train, which created the impression of moving forwards or backwards. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Too clever for its own good! Hilarious ways that AI has... Never forget a face? We’re actually better at remembering... Want to replace painful memories with happy ones? 'Total... Black Mirror-style brain implants used to treat Parkinson's... Share this article Share 590 shares In all scenarios, the backwards group or those who imagined walking backwards got the most answers right. The team deemed this as a statistically significant experiment and an indication that a link between the concepts of 'time' and 'space' is essential to the way our minds form memories. 'It's a partial vindication of this idea that time is really expressed via space,' says Aksentijevic Aksentijevic, who led the study. After watching the video, participants were split into groups - one was told to walk forwards or backwards 30 feet (10m) while a control group stood in one place. People who walked backwards remembered more (stock image) +2 After watching the video, participants were split into groups - one was told to walk forwards or backwards 30 feet (10m) while a control group stood in one place. People who walked backwards remembered more (stock image) It is still not clear why motion, real or imagined, should improve our access to memories but Dr Aksentijevic hopes further research will shed light on as well as how to use it to our advantage. 'I am sure that some of this work could be useful in helping people remember things, but how is a question for more research,' he said. Richard Allen at the University of Leeds, UK, says the results are interesting, and might offer ways to improve memory function. 'However, I think we need to see the results clearly replicated by other research groups before we can start to be confident about this effect and its interpretation,' Dr Allen said. WHAT IS AN EEG AND HOW DOES IT WORK? An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a recording of brain activity which was originally developed for clinical use. During the test, small sensors are attached to the scalp to pick up the electrical signals produced when brain cells send messages to each other. In the medical field, EEGs are typically carried out by a highly trained specialist known as a clinical neurophysiologist. These signals are recorded by a machine and are analysed by a medical professional to determine whether they're unusual. An EEG can be used to help diagnose and monitor a number of conditions that affect the brain. It may help identify the cause of certain symptoms, such as seizures or memory problems. More recently, technology companies have used the technique to create brain-computer interfaces, sometimes referred to as 'mind-reading' devices. This has led to the creation and design of a number of futuristic sounding gadgets. These have ranged from a machine that can decipher words from brainwaves without them being spoken to a headband design that would let computer users open apps using the power of thought.
That and walk like an Egyptian should literally blow the mind wide open!
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Post by swamprat on Nov 17, 2018 17:01:48 GMT
Imagine that. The man who threatened to deprive Big Pharma of billion$ in profits is found dead of an "apparent suicide."
Death of HHS official Daniel Best is ruled a suicide
By Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com
Posted Nov 15
 free pic upload
Daniel Best, a pharmaceutical executive from Bay Village who was tapped to oversee government efforts to reduce prescription drug costs, died on Nov. 1. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Nov. 1 death of Daniel Best, a pharmaceutical executive from Bay Village who led U.S. Department of Health and Human Services efforts to lower prescription drug prices, has been ruled a suicide, officials in Washington, D.C., said Thursday.
Police say Best was found "unresponsive" near the garage door exit of an apartment building in Washington, D.C.'s Navy Yard neighborhood at 5:25 a.m. on Nov. 1, and was pronounced dead by medical personnel who responded to the scene.
The city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday said Best died from "multiple blunt force injuries" and it ruled his death a suicide. It would not release further information.
In announcing his death, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the 49-year-old former CVSHealth and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals executive agreed to work at HHS "out of a desire to serve the American people by making health care more affordable."
"He brought his deep expertise and passion to this task with great humility and collegiality," Azar's statement said. "All of us who served with Dan at HHS and in the administration mourn his passing and extend our thoughts and prayers to his wife Lisa and the entire Best family at this difficult time."
www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/11/death_of_hhs_official_daniel_b.html?fbclid=IwAR2OocaKpHCC_0g6inQIHAl4udEKRWYQGwJygKmBhT3CN4Cvnc47iYxBcRk
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2018 17:13:58 GMT
Dang another good guy down..  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2018 18:19:37 GMT
Good afternoon all !
STScI Visualizations of the Universe Form Heart of New "Deep Field" Film
Release date: Nov 16, 2018 10:00 AM (EST)
Film inspired and written by Grammy award-winning composer Eric Whitacre celebrates Hubble
November 16 marks the premiere of a unique film and musical experience inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope’s famous Deep Field image. It represents a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Grammy award-winning American composer and conductor Eric Whitacre, producers Music Productions, multi award-winning artists 59 Productions, and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of our Universe features a variety of Hubble’s stunning imagery and includes 11 computer-generated visualizations of far-flung galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters developed by STScI. The film is available on YouTube and will be shared with the world through screenings and live performances around the globe.
hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2018-51?fbclid=IwAR1L3FAXT1A-LiBoaZATRaneJwtFT7TwQKFRoHp6IgwPfMshMhCcMM8wg9Q
deepfieldfilm.com/?fbclid=IwAR0xm0GvJbZQfQ8WC-24QQR-q2ZuprOf3rrhlTKOYbuA3xVySEevK_FH4a0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDiD8F9ItX0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 0:43:56 GMT
Peculiar..very peculiar.. Go to 553 -630 + and trees were burning from the inside out
“I think everybody’s seen the light and I don’t think we’ll have this again to this extent,” Trump said in Paradise, the town largely destroyed by a wildfire ignited Nov. 8 that he called “this monster.”  |
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Post by ZETAR on Nov 18, 2018 5:21:03 GMT
Peculiar..very peculiar.. Go to 553 -630 + and trees were burning from the inside out
“I think everybody’s seen the light and I don’t think we’ll have this again to this extent,” Trump said in Paradise, the town largely destroyed by a wildfire ignited Nov. 8 that he called “this monster.”  BET PURR IS THINKING ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF WHEN EACH FIRE STARTED...CLUSTERED CLOSELY TOGETHER...GHOST AND GORT MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT PG&E, CAMP FIRE, MICROWAVE BURST, LASER?...EXCELLENT POST SYS! SHALOM...Z |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 5:48:16 GMT
Coincidence Zetar.. I used Hannibal Lecter the other day and this popped up today. By the way!..awesome gif of a hydrogen explosion..I might use that on that democrat stallwell threatening to confiscate guns..resistance is futile..cuz they have nukes..working it out in my head Incredible photos show how Anthony Hopkins' Malibu mansion was miraculously left untouched by the California wildfire that incinerated his neighbor's house, as stars return home to assess the damage
New aerial images show the Woolsey Fire in Malibu only just missed the Anthony Hopkins' home The Woolsey Fire in southern California has killed three people and burned more than 98,000 acres Aerial photos show fire also just missed James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan's Malibu beach house A number of celebrities lost their houses in the Woolsey Fire, including Miley Cyrus, Kim Basinger, Robin Thicke, Camille Grammer and Gerard Butler By Anneta Konstantinides For Dailymail.com Published: 16:09 EST, 15 November 2018 | Updated: 06:56 EST, 16 November 2018 e-mail 105k shares 776 View comments Anthony Hopkins is one of the lucky ones when it comes to the California wildfires - but just barely. New aerial images show that the deadly Woolsey fire only just missed the legendary Welsh actor's Malibu home. Hopkins' next-door-neighbor's home was completely leveled by the flames, which have killed three people and scorched through more than 98,000 acres in the last week. But while much of the earth around Hopkins' home was scorched to a crisp, his beachfront property was left completely untouched.
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Post by WingsofCrystal on Nov 18, 2018 11:19:00 GMT
Good morning, good morning,
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American musical science fiction television film set in the Star Wars galaxy. It stars the first film's main cast while introducing the character Boba Fett, who would appear in later films. It is one of the first official Star Wars spin-offs and was directed by Steve Binder.
~
Crystal
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BET PURR IS THINKING ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF WHEN EACH FIRE STARTED...CLUSTERED CLOSELY TOGETHER...GHOST AND GORT MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT 
