Sunspots 972

Special edition:

A Conversation writer discusses predictions of the Second Coming (all wrong, so far) based on astronomical phenomena, like the solar eclipse which is coming in a few days.

Christianity Today also considers the coming eclipse and the Second Coming.

Sunspots 758

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts (and Education): NPR reports that Carroll Spinney, who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from the beginning of Sesame Street until a year or so ago, has died.

Christianity: (and politics) There is an attempt, in Congress, to pass legislation that would protect the rights of homosexuals, and also the rights of Christian organizations and small businesses.

(and science) BioLogos reports that one of this year's Nobel laureates in Chemistry is a believing Christian.
  Humor: (or something) Listverse describes the 10 best board games ever created.


Politics: Another way in which the Department of Education is hindering, not helping, students with disabilities, and Congress is not happy, according to NPR.

Science: Listverse has a compilation of arguments used to prove that evolution is false. None of these arguments do that.

NPR reports on a comet that has apparently come from another solar system.

NPR also reports on a fascinating Dubna, Russia-Oak Ridge, TN scientific collaboration that resulted in the production of six short-live atoms of a new element, Tennessine. There is one mistake in the report: "Element 117 fits in a column of the periodic table filled with compounds called halogens - fluorine, chlorine, bromine." It should have been "elements called halogens."

And NPR reports that fresh-water mussels are dying, and on why this matters.

Gizmodo reports on using wood as the basis of optical fibers.

Gizmodo also reports on a newly discovered widow spider, which lays purple eggs.

The Scientist reports that it is now possible to store instructions for replicating the object in the object itself. A related application might be to store information on how a medical device or implant was made in the device or implant, itself. This sort of study may be coming close to creating a new kind of life.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.
Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 605

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: Listverse reports on 10 bizarre stained glass windows. Really bizarre.

Christianity: Relevant tells us that many Christians unknowingly repeat errors in their perception of the Christmas story.

Relevant also reminds us that no one ever became a believer because a Christian scolded them.

"Six Reasons Prayers are not Answered." (Actually, there are more in the article.)


Computing: Gizmo's Freeware reports on a capable free replacement for Microsoft Office.

And Gizmo's points to a free program that lets you download a YouTube video as an .mp3 file -- video to sound only, meaning you can play it without being connected to the internet. However, you lose the video.

Education: The New York Times reports that spending more money on education "probably" improves it.

Health: Listverse reports on people who have had various creatures living in their ears.

Humor: (or something) Scientific American reports on why it's so hard to get a gift that pleases the recipient. (There's an explanation.)

(or something) National Public Radio reports on the return of a book that was apparently checked out of a library in the UK, over 120 years ago.
 
Politics: (Or something) CNN reports that there has been a large pipeline leak, about 150 miles from the much-publicized standoff (so far) on the Standing Rock reservation.

Science: Scientific American reports that 13 bird species have been recently been declared extinct.

Scientific American also tells us that we should be getting ready to keep a comet from hitting the earth, but we aren't.

Listverse reports on 10 things you probably didn't know about the solar system. (I didn't.)

FiveThirtyEight tells us that we are all part virus. Really.








Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 447

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Christian History has published an issue on the church's response to Darwin, from the time of the publication of The Origin of Species to the Scopes trial. The issue is available as a free .PDF file.
Ken Schenck has summarized his view on how to interpret scripture. Readable, and concise.
Politics: National Public Radio reports that we may pick our location, at least to some extent, to accord with our political preferences.
An editorial in The Washington Post says that, in government, managing for efficiency is not rewarded. In fact, managing inefficiently may be.
Science: Wired reports that lemurs can anticipate what other animals will see, but not what they will hear.
USA Today reports that pre-wedding jitters may predict problems in the marriage.
National Public Radio reports that our brains geotag memories, so that events are associated with places.
NASA has posted a video on sungrazing comets. By the time you read this, Comet Ison will, or will not, have survived its trip near the sun. (It probably did survive, or some of it did.)

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 399

Yes, you read that title correctly. I have been posting these for nearly 399 consecutive weeks. Thanks to God for the opportunity.

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Science: Comet Ison is supposed to be visible late in 2013.

An amazing photo, with accompanying shots, and description, of the turbinate eyes of a male mayfly.

The Arts: (also science, politics, and probably philosophy) A web site that lists, rates, and categorizes free documentary films.

Here's information on the White Council, consisting of Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel, Elrond, and others (although only those four seem to be shown in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.)

Christianity:  He Lives on faith. Says the writer, "I'm convinced there is no adequate word in English." (To describe Abraham's faith/trust/something.)

Image source (public domain)

Comet McNaught visible tonight in Northern hemisphere

A fellow blogger saw me at a basketball game, and told me that Comet McNaught is now about as bright an object as there is, except for the sun and the moon.

A newspaper article says that tonight is the last night it can be seen in the Northern hemisphere, West to Southwest, about 5 degrees above the horizon. Go to a place with a flat surface, so trees, buildings, or hills don't block it. I haven't seen this comet yet. I hope I get to.

The Wikipedia has an up-to-date article on this phenomenon.

Thanks for reading.