Our Planet
I’m still out west, staying in an airbnb. Last night I was trying to relax – fat chance! – and watched some TV I thought might be soothing. It was the first episode in the Netflix series “Our Planet.” What … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Nature
Storm on the horizon
I don’t mean a metaphorical one; I mean an actual one. It’s not predicted to be so cold here in New England. In fact, we’re supposed to get a warmish spell with rain and even thunderstorms. Strange. Then on the … Continue reading →
Alien octopus?
Don’t really think so. But the other day some commenter brought it up for discussion, and here’s the idea: A paper published in the journal ‘Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology’ looked into the origins of life here on our … Continue reading →
Double yolk eggs
The other day I was about to cook a couple of eggs. When I got them out of the carton, I noticed that one of them was bigger the the others. When I cracked it, out plopped an egg with … Continue reading →
And all through the house…
[NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post. Merry Night-Before-Christmas and Merry Christmas!] …a creature was stirring. Last night was Christmas Eve. I was expecting a visit from my son, who was flying in as a rare treat. I … Continue reading →
Devastating tornadoes hit Kentucky and neighboring states
RIP. At least 70 people are feared dead: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference Saturday that the death toll may exceed 100. “This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,” Beshear said. The … Continue reading →
The earliest sunset
[NOTE: This is a slightly edited repeat of an earlier post.] The earliest sunset is not at the solstice, the shortest day of the year. It comes somewhat earlier (now, for example), and varies slightly depending on latitude. Here’s an … Continue reading →
Teal is just ducky
I had no idea that yesterday’s thread on the difficulty of distinguishing between intermediate shades of green and blue would occasion so many comments, but I’m glad it did. Color is a topic that’s dear to my heart. I’ve always … Continue reading →
Let’s hear it for the fearless alligator rider
What a scene: An animal trainer was saved by a Good Samaritan on Sunday after an alligator clamped onto her hand. Scales and Tails in Salt Lake City hosted a 5-year-old’s birthday party over the weekend, KUTV reported, and trainer … Continue reading →
Solar panels in the Sahara sounded like a really good idea
Actually, maybe not. So, a giant solar farm could generate ample energy to meet global demand and simultaneously turn one of the most hostile environments on Earth into a habitable oasis. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. In a recent study, … Continue reading →
Just call him Bill “Phaethon” Gates
When I read this story I thought of the ancient Greeks, who had a fine sense of hubris/nemesis: Bill Gates, among others, is backing the Harvard Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment. The SCoPEx is researching a form of “geoengineering” to prevent … Continue reading →
Tips on how to swat a fly
A change of pace from politics, and some news you can use. I’ve intermittently had a couple of especially pesky flies this fall. Noisy little buzzing buggers, and extraordinarily fast. They eluded my fly-swatting skills, even when I tried these … Continue reading →