Sunspots 986

Gizmodo reports that potatoes are descended from tomatoes.

Newsweek, and other outlets, report a lightning event that was over 500 miles long.

     ScienceAlert reports that peacocks have lasers in their feathers.

Gizmodo (and other sources) report that Robert F Kennedy jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has cut funding for vaccinations based on mRNA. This is a dangerous move. One of the achievements of the first Trump administration was the rapid development of mRNA -based immunization. This probably saved hundres of thousands of lives, perhaps yours or mine. For a more detailed discussion, see here.

 

Sunspots 958

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

Health: (and Politics, to some extent) Gizmodo reports that the Centers for Disease Control tell us that more  parents are finding excuses for not having their kids vaccinated.

Science: Gizmodo reports that some viruses enter host cells, with the (unwitting) help of other kinds of viruses.

Quanta Magazine reports on how we perceive small numbers of objects (1-4), and it's not the same way we perceive greater numbers of objects.

IFLScience reports that a yeast organism with artificial DNA is functional and alive.

A Conversation writer discusses treatment for concussions and other brain injury.

Sports: (and Finance, and Education) The Guardian complains about our priorities -- Texas A&M's football coach has been fired, but is to get 77 million dollars for not coaching. Education in Texas (and elsewhere) is seriously underfunded.

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

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 833

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

Computing: Gizmodo reports that Colonial Pipeline had posted a job opening for a cybersecurity manager, a week or so before the ransomware attack that cut gasoline supplies down.

NPR interviews a company that helps negotiate with criminals after a ransomware attack.

Environment: Gizmodo reports on how ineffective the Environmental Protection Agency has been, during the Trump administration, and before.

Health: NPR reports that a dozen people are responsible for most of the anti-vaccination disinformation available on social networks. These people have, and will, contribute to COVID (and other diseases) deaths.

(and Computing) NPR reports on likely links between social media use and depression, among children and youth.

Science: The Scientist reports that children with severe combined immunodeficiency have been successfully treated with gene therapy, with a virus placing a normal gene in them. Treatment helps for at least a few years, and, we hope, for life.

Gizmodo reports that a system for generating characters by thought alone (in a paralyzed man) is quite effective, and surprisingly rapid. In other words, he's typing with his brain. See also report in The Scientist.

Gizmodo also reports on spectacular recently published photos of  Jupiter.

ScienceAlert reports that we would need several years to deflect an asteroid headed for earth.

Gizmodo seeks answers to the question of why birds and insects are often vividly colored, while mammals are not. (Did you ever see a blue one?)

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

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 780

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

Christianity: BioLogos discusses "Christian" conspiracy theories, about COVID-19.

Education: Grammarphobia tells us why we say "fourteen," instead of "onety-four."

Grammarphobia also gives us the history of the words "butt" and "buttock," and explains their relationship.
Health: CNN asks what things will be like if we don't develop a COVID-19 vaccine, and reminds us that there are some serious infectious diseases without vaccines, and not for lack of trying. (Think AIDS, for one.)

Gizmodo points out that taking temperatures is not a fool-proof way of checking for COVID-19 infection.

You may (or may not) have seen the Plandemic video. Here is a documented story from lifehacker debunking it, and another from  National Public Radio, doing the same. Here is a report from the Snopes web site.

Politics: (or something) FiveThirtyEight says that the recent jobs report, bad as it is, doesn't really cover all the people who are out of work.

Gizmodo reports that there is considerable overlap between COVID-19 misinformation and climate change denial.

Sixty Minutes reports that the Trump administration terminated a virus research grant for no good reason.

FiveThirtyEight has studied voting by mail, and finds considerable variety in how it's used. There's no particular advantage to either party.

Science: NPR reports that a black hole, about 1,000 light-years away, has been found.

The Ryugu asteroid has been photographed from very close, like on the asteroid, and the results are remarkable.

Sports: Gizmodo reports on a basketball backboard and hoop that adjusts its position so that almost all shots go through the hoop.

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

Sunspots 735

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

 
Christianity: Christianity Today reports that men who attend church regularly are much less likely to watch pornography than others.

Relevant asks if Christians should own nice things.

(and politics) Relevant reports on a study that shows that the number of people who are refugees because of their faith, and let into the US, has dropped drastically.

Michael Gerson points out the dangers, to evangelicals, of continuing to praise President Donald Trump.

Computing: Gizmodo on whether your smart devices (such as a smart TV) can be attacked by a virus.

Education:  Grammarphobia on the use of "pee" for urination, and on related matters.

Health: A writer attempting to cover a national anti-vaccination conference describes that movement, and how she (and other reporters) was or have been kicked out.

Gizmodo reports that sitting and watching TV is worse for your health than other kinds of sitting.
 
Politics: Catherine Rampell on incriminating, or nearly such, e-mails between a Republican gerrymandering expert and a Census Bureau employee, a few years ago, about adding a question about citizenship to the census. There's also a discussion of the effect of adding such a question.

Relevant reports that when Russell Moore, an official of the Southern Baptist Convention, was one of many Christian leaders who decried conditions for immigrant children, Jerry Falwell, Jr., attacked Moore.

FiveThirtyEight posted "The First Democratic Debate in Five Charts." (The report combines the two nights of the debate.)

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain.
Thanks for looking!
 

Sunspots 734

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

Christianity: A Relevant writer on what to do when you don't like reading the Bible.

A Relevant writer tells us some things that our culture tells us about love and marriage that are wrong.

A Relevant writer says that everything doesn't happen for a reason.

Relevant also tells us what the Bible says about treating refugees hospitably. See more such scripture here (there's some duplication).

Relevant (again!) reports that religious donations declined by 2 billion dollars last year.

Christianity Today reports that the latest tariffs on goods from China may make the prices of Bibles, in the US, go up significantly.

Christianity Today has an article on how to lessen the polarization that is all too common in our society today.

Education: (or something) Listverse tells us about the history of some special colors, such as why school buses are yellow.

Finance: Catherine Rampell points out that retail sales is the biggest business in the country, and it's hurting badly, partly because of tariffs on Chinese products. Both the owners and the workers are hurting, but no one seems to be making a crusade out of that. (She says that there are 20 times more department store employees than the number of coal workers.)

NPR on why hardly any shoes are now made in the USA, and why it would be hard to bring such  manufacturing back.

Health: A writer attempting to cover a national anti-vaccination conference describes that movement, and how she (and other reporters) was or have been kicked out.

Politics: Christianity Today points out that the international refugee crisis has hit a record high, while the US acceptance of refugees has hit a record low.

The Associated Press compares the President's statements, made at his campaign kick-off rally, with the facts.

Michael Gerson discusses the President's compulsion to disregard the facts, and to make himself look good. Sample: a) the Mueller Report was put together by Democratic enemies of the President and b) the Mueller report completely exonerates the President.


Science: Gizmodo tells us why it's been raining so much. (There are several causes.)

Gizmodo also reports on hybridization between beluga whales and narwhals, in the wild.

BioLogos presents 10 common misconceptions about evolution.

NPR reports on an experiment involving supposed lost wallets (the experimenters knew what was in the wallet, and tracked attempts at returning them.) The findings were surprising.

An article in Smithsonian about large, brightly colored squirrels.

Sports: NPR reports that a bacterial species, in the gut, that occurs more often in long-distance runners, helps mice to run better, when placed in the mouse's gut.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 726

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

The Arts: NPR discusses how movies have been getting longer and longer.

Christianity: A Relevant writer tells us 9 things we should do when reading the Bible. The 9 are ways to improve our understanding, and none of them are complicated.
(and health) A Christianity Today article discusses, at length, opposition to vaccination because some cell lines used to make material for use were derived from fetal tissue, and related issues.

Finance: Catherine Rampell on the incoherence of US trade policy toward Japan.

(and health) NPR reports on a snake bitten 9-year-old, who racked up medical bills of more than $140,000.

Health: NPR reports on adult family care in Vermont -- a way to avoid hospitals and nursing homes, for some, at least.

Politics: Based on the Mueller Report, Michael Gerson says that it's time for the US House to lay the groundwork for impeachment.

(Or something) Relevant reports on a few of the recent beheadings that are a feature of Saudi Arabian jurisprudence.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 719

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

Christianity: A Relevant article suggests that Christian couples (and others) should argue more.

Computing: Lifehacker reports on using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). You are using one, aren't you?

Gizmodo discusses whether or not it's OK to touch your computer screen or monitor.

Gizmodo on what happens to Facebook accounts when the owner dies.

Gizmo's Freeware recommends https://pinetools.com/ for many kinds of free on-line tools.

Finance: The trade deficit has gotten wider, including with China, in spite of President Trump's campaign to reduce it. One reason for the increase is that Americans are more prosperous now than a few years ago, and, thus, buy more stuff. Here's another article about that subject.

Health: Gizmodo reports on a child who wasn't vaccinated. His treatment cost over half a million dollars, and was excruciating.

Michael Gerson on confusing political freedom with science (he is arguing that Senator Rand Paul should not be questioning the value of vaccination).

Humor: (or something) NPR reports on some interesting items in those fine print agreements that most of us click on (or sign) without reading. (Including, in one case, getting a $10,000 check.)


Politics: Catherine Rampell on how rolling back regulations hurts consumers, especially when enforcement is also rolled back.

FiveThirtyEight discusses the six wings of the Democratic party. Interesting. Two questions, though. Was the author aware that there are supernatural creatures with six wings in the Bible? (Isaiah 6:2) What on earth does "performative wokeness" mean? (That phrase was in the article.)

A USA Today editorial is sorry to see the FDA chief resign. According to the column, he actually wanted to protect consumers. The columnist also points out that the Trump administration has increased red tape requirements on some of the poorest of us, and wants to add more of such burdens.

Science: Gizmodo and other outlets report that a new species of killer whale may have been discovered.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain.
Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 609

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


Christianity: Relevant reports that Christians are the most persecuted people in the world.

Sojourners has extracted excerpts from speeches from soon-to-be-ex-president Obama, on his faith.

Benjamin L. Corey points out that God didn't demand the death penalty for the murder of Abel. (I don't always approve of Mr. Corey's language, but his posts are always thought-provoking.)

Corey also points out that, even if you don't believe in Christianity, it's wrong to dismiss the Bible as a fairy tale.


Education: Listverse points out some troubling facts and trends in higher education.

Finance: The Associated Press reports that eight men are, in combination, as rich as half of the people in the world.

Health: Apparently, President-elect Trump is listening to the anti-vaccine movement, in spite of the lack of scientific evidence that vaccination is linked to autism, and may be going to do something about what he hears, according to Scientific American.

Scientific American also reports on warnings against cleaning out your earwax.

History: I don't expect this will change any holocaust denier's mind, but ListVerse has 10 facts that prove that the holocaust really happened.

Humor: (or something) Listverse reports on 10 surprising lost objects, including a city, a spaceship, and thousands of shipping containers.

An amazing construction of marbles, and other items. (Video, about 2 minutes.)


Politics: FiveThirtyEight points out that, barring unforeseen events, soon-to-be-ex-vice-president Joe Biden will be the only veep who served for two terms, and never cast a tie-breaking vote.

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 434

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

The Arts: Frederik Pohl, who wrote excellent science fiction novels from 1954 to 2011, recently passed away. (He also wrote many short stories.) His novel, Gateway, won about every award possible.

Computing: ABC News tells us that the next version of the Android operating system (used on over half of all smart phones, and on tablets) will be named Kit Kat, after the candy bar. (Previous versions have been named Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich, among other names.)

Health: (and Christianity) National Public Radio reports on a Texas megachurch where 21 people have caught the measles.

Science: National Public Radio reports on the discovery of a canyon, longer and wider (but not deeper) than the Grand Canyon, beneath the ice of the Antarctic.

Discovery.com reports that some tiny frogs use their mouths, rather than the middle ear, to magnify sound.


Image source (public domain)