[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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Photos taken recently by me. Enjoy.
Continue reading →Maybe you already knew all about this phenomenon, but I had no idea till I saw this the other day. There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Continue reading →A couple of days ago I went to take a shower, and there was a spider in the tub. A large one (this isn’t a photo of my spider, but it looked just like it): I couldn’t decide what to … Continue reading →
…and here are some of the things I saw:
Continue reading →And I don’t even like cats. But this is cute and very soothing: That business the cat is doing with its front paws before it lies down is called “kneading.” Why do they do it? This is supposedly why, and … Continue reading →
Canadian sparrows have changed their tune: A new bird song is spreading like wildfire among Canadian white-throated sparrows, at a scale not seen before by scientists. Birds rarely change their chirpy little tunes, and when they do, it’s typically limited … Continue reading →