Sunspots 976

Things I have spotted that may be of interest to others: 

The BBC reports on the discovery of very large squid. (or is it squids?)

A-z animals, and other sources, report on a newly discovered orangutan population.

Ken Schenck discusses the importance of context in Bible interpretation.

Ars Technica, and other outlets, report on experiments that show that bonobos can tell when a human doesn't know the location of a treat, as compared to when the human does know.

Yahoo! and other outlets report that a group of over a thousand dolphins has been seen in the Pacific.

Columbia Journalism Review reports on Elon Musk's dislike of the Wikipedia.

Sunspots 930

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*: 

The Arts: (and computing) A Conversation author discusses art produced by artificial intelligence, and finds it wanting.

Health: Gizmodo reports on a smartphone app that can be used to take one's temperature, with no added hardware.

Science: Gizmodo reports on the use of dolphins in warfare, by Russia. (The US has also used them.)

Two Conversation writers tell us that we aren't going to crush microbes by walking on them.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 898

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*: 

Christianity: Christianity Today reports on the openness to women in various leadership roles, in Protestant churches.

Education: A Conversation article on violence against teachers by students. About 10% of teachers have been so attacked.

A Conversation writer discusses some ways that the Metaverse (the author doesn't know how to define or describe it) is helping college education.

Finances: NPR reports on how prisoners earn income behind bars, and what the income is.

Science: The Scientist on the energetics of chewing, (It takes a lot of energy.) and the possible relationship to humanoid evolution.

NPR reports that a company is planning to bring back the Tasmanian "tiger," which has been extinct for over 80 years. There are questions about trying to do this.

NPR also reports on some interesting (and possibly dangerous to humans) behavior by orcas/aka killer whales.

A Conversation writer discusses his own research, which indicates that dolphins use "signature whistles -- brief sequences of noise that the animals emit," which are not copies of those emitted by other dolphins, to identify other dolphins.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 885

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Christianity: Relevant has an article that discusses the harmful effects of watching pornography -- it leads to a decline in desire for sex with real people. The article mentions the effects on Christian young people.

Computing: Gizmodo tells us that Chicago (and other) police, with help from the FBI, are using fake social media accounts to trap criminals (or innocent people).

Environment: Gizmodo reports that legislators in Utah are considering piping ocean water into the Great Salt Lake, which is at record low levels, with no natural fix in sight.

Health: (and politics) NPR reports that the death rate from COVID has been significantly higher in counties that voted for Trump.

Politics: NPR reports that American right-wingers are praising the autocratic leader of Hungary.

Science: The Scientist reports that significant malaria transmission occurs, due to daytime mosquito bites.

Gizmodo reports that dolphins in the Red Sea apparently rub their bodies, or parts thereof, on corals, for medicinal reasons.

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

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 883

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

The Arts: Christianity Today reports that the lead that holds stained glass pieces together, in decorative windows, from the late 1800s, is in danger of no longer being able to do so, because of slow oxidation.

Christianity: NPR reports that Orthodox churches, some of which are backing Putin, in the US are attracting far-right people.

Education: (sort of) FiveThirtyEight on laws to prevent teaching about racism.

Environment: A small dolphin, living in the Gulf of California, has a population of about 10 animals, according to Gizmodo.

Gizmodo reports that recycling doesn't really work.

Gizmodo reports that Emperor penguins are in serious danger of extinction, caused by global climate change.

Health: The Scientist reports that taking oral antibiotics may have profound effects on the microbes that normally live in the gut.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight shows us the results of some recent polls on abortion.

Science: The Scientist reports that sunscreen can damage coral reefs.

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

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading. 

Sunspots 835

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

Christianity: (sort of) and Politics: Relevant reports on a recent study of who believes QAnon conspiracy theories. Too many Christians.

Computing: (or something) Relevant reminds us that pornography and sex trafficking are evils that are closely linked, and are all too common.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight on the so-called audit of the 2020 election, in Arizona.

Science: Gizmodo and The Scientist report on research on microbes in subways around the world. Thousands of new organisms were discovered, and different cities have different subway microbe populations.

Science reports that dolphins are able to cooperate, and call others to help them, recognizing other dolphins by their signature calls.

Gizmodo reports that a California bobcat was able to find a nesting spot for her kittens after a devastating fire.

Gizmodo also reports on dropping population sizes of Florida manatees.

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

Thanks for looking! 

Sunspots 407

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

Humor: (or something) The BBC reports that many Swedish babies and toddlers are put outside for their mid-day naps, even in the winter.

Science:  National Public Radio reports that dolphins can, and do, use names to identify each other.

Wired tells us that at least some of the seemingly impossible things that Spider-Man does can be done, or are in development.

Sports: This is going way too far! The University of Alabama has offered an 8th grader a football scholarship, according to Sports Illustrated.

Computing: Gizmo's Freeware has a list of the best apps for Windows 8 (computers or tablets).

Gizmo's also has an article on two web sites designed to help you delete on-line accounts (Facebook, etc.) quickly.

Christianity: A web page on the plant described in the parable of the mustard seed, found in Mark 4:30-32.

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 338

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

Science: Karl Zimmer has posted the winners of a science movie festival.

Politics: (or Philosophy) PETA plans to take Sea World to court, on the grounds that dolphins under their care, and displaying as an attraction for customers, are being held in slavery.

Christianity:  Russell Purvis challenges our thinking on how to explain and understand salvation.

Image source (public domain)