March song delayed
I’ve got music, but, you know, there’s some other stuff happening, right? Should have plenty of time to record some penitential covers, though.
Articles by grant
Our galaxy is bigger than we’d thought.
Science News reports that astronomers have found the dark edge of the Milky Way – the unlit mass of dark matter spinning beyond the bright stars – and have determined that our… Read the rest “Our galaxy is bigger than we’d thought.”
Science Art: Hemisphere Austral, XVIII from Atlas Coelestis, by John Flamsteed, 1729.
Click to embiggenFrom 1675 until his death in 1719, John Flamsteed worked at the newly built Greenwich Observatory, charting the stars in the sky. He was England’s first Astronomer… Read the rest “Science Art: Hemisphere Austral, XVIII from Atlas Coelestis, by John Flamsteed, 1729.”
Betelgeuse was maybe just dusty, not dying.
Science News checks back on the big star that suddenly went dim (as regular readers here will remember) a couple of months ago, prompting some speculation that we were about to see a massive… Read the rest “Betelgeuse was maybe just dusty, not dying.”
Low-carb diet can keep your brain fit.
The Guardian looks back at memory researchers who’ve found that lower the carbohydrates you eat keeps your memory in better shape:
… Read the rest “Low-carb diet can keep your brain fit.”“Neurobiological changes associated with ageing
Science Art: Water-Cooling of the Converter, 1891
Click to embiggenFrom Wedding’s Basic Bessemer Process, by W. B. Phillips and E. Prochaska, which you can preview here. I found it on the British Library Photostream.
The Bessemer… Read the rest “Science Art: Water-Cooling of the Converter, 1891”
Burmese amber contains skull of hummingbird-sized dinosaur.
Science News reports on the discovery of the smallest known dinosaur in a Myanmar gemstone – and it was a tiny predator:
… Read the rest “Burmese amber contains skull of hummingbird-sized dinosaur.”A tiny, toothed bird that lived 99 million years ago appears
China’s “Bat Woman” is a virus-hunting hero.
Or something like that. Scientific American looks at how Shi Zhengli’s kind of obscure area zoological research – looking at how bats contract viral diseases – suddenly… Read the rest “China’s “Bat Woman” is a virus-hunting hero.”
Yes, indigenous South Americans were actively managing the forest.
Scientific American looks at old trees to determine how so-called hunter-gatherers were actually actively “farming” the Brazil nuts and cocoa trees they relied on for food… Read the rest “Yes, indigenous South Americans were actively managing the forest.”
COVID-19 Resource List
Rather than the usual excerpt of recent research, I thought I’d start collecting some decent sources of info on the ongoing pandemic.
* Vetted and regularly updated numbers, best… Read the rest “COVID-19 Resource List”
Science Art: Colorized transmission electron micrograph of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus particles (orange) found near the periphery of an infected cell (green).
Click to embiggenA snapshot of SARS virus particles – the coronavirus responsible for Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome – taken at Fort Detrick, Maryland, the military … Read the rest “Science Art: Colorized transmission electron micrograph of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus particles (orange) found near the periphery of an infected cell (green).”
Forest fires boost bats.
Scientific American checks out how fire-prevention efforts are actually apparently hurting bat populations:
… Read the rest “Forest fires boost bats.”In California’s Sierra Nevada ecosystem, bats have adapted to occasional
Some COVID-19 answers from Science News.
Science News has started a vetted Frequently Asked Questions page about the virus that’s on everyone’s mind now. It’s located here, but the most fun question and answer… Read the rest “Some COVID-19 answers from Science News.”
China’s rover scoots around the dark side of the moon.
Science News is following the progress of China’s Chang’e-4 lander and Yutu-2 rover as they discover all sorts of new things about the layers of the moon’s farside – the part… Read the rest “China’s rover scoots around the dark side of the moon.”
Science Art: Amplifying Receiver, Sketch 1, April 1916
Electronics in 1916, from an article on making headphones for receiving radio transmissions in QST, the amateur wireless magazine of the The American Radio … Read the rest “Science Art: Amplifying Receiver, Sketch 1, April 1916”