December 2, 2010
The Arecibo message as sent 1974: image via Wikipedia
The Telegraph has an eye-catching headline (naturally):
‘Life as we don’t know it’ discovery could prove existence of aliens
But even without the exaggerations and the splash headlines, the possible existence of a form of life intimately connected with Arsenic would have enormous consequences on the definition and abundance of life in the universe and on how to go about searching for extra-terrestrial life.
NASA has sent the internet into a frenzy after it announced an “astrobiology finding” that could suggest alien life exists – even on earth.
The discovery could prove the theory of “shadow” creatures which exist in tandem with our own and in hostile environments previously thought uninhabitable. The “life as we don’t know it” could even survive on hostile planets and develop into intelligent creatures such as humans if and when conditions improve. In a press conference scheduled for tomorrow evening, researchers will unveil the discovery of a microbe that can live in an environment previously thought too poisonous for any life-form to survive.
The bacteria has been found at the bottom of Mono Lake in California’s Yosemite National Park which is rich in arsenic – usually poisonous to life.
Somehow the creature uses the arsenic as a way of surviving and this ability raises the prospect that similar life could exist on other planets, which do not have our benevolent atmosphere. Dr Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at the Centre for Planetary Sciences in London, said: “If these organisms use arsenic in their metabolism, it demonstrates that there are other forms of life to those we knew of. “They’re aliens, but aliens that share the same home as us.”
The Brisbane Times reports:
The US space agency has created a buzz with its announcement of a press conference early tomorrow morning (Australian time) to discuss a scientific finding that relates to the hunt for life beyond the planet Earth.
“NASA will hold a news conference at 2pm EST (6am AEDT) to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life,” it said on its website.
But Nasa has declined to elaborate further on the topic, other than to say astrobiology is the ”study of life in the universe, including its origin and evolution, where it is located and how it might survive in the future”. The vague announcement has sent the blogosphere in a flurry of speculation about its potential meaning.
Blogger Jason Kottke tipped NASA would announce the discovery of arsenic on Titan, or possibly chemical evidence of bacteria utilising it for photosynthesis.
That speculation was quickly picked up and repeated by a number of other bloggers and internet sites. However Kottke theory has been rebuffed by Alexis Madrigal, senior science writer for The Atlantic, who tweeted that he had read the Science article relating to the Nasa announcement. ”I’m sad to quell some of the @kottke-induced excitement about possible extraterrestrial life. I’ve seen the Science paper. It’s not that,” he tweeted.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, which publishes the journal in which the research will appear, told ABC News in the US that it had received numerous inquiries about the “mostly erroneous online and/or tabloid speculation about the forthcoming research”.
For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv at 2pm EST today (2nd December).
Tags: arsenic based life, astrobiology, Extraterrestrial life, form of life, NASA, Yosemite National Park
Posted in Astronomy, Biodiversity, Biology, Space | Comments Off on Another form of life based on Arsenic?
December 2, 2010
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has determined that there is a “critical safety issue” with the Rolls Royce Trent 900 used on the Qantas A380 aircraft which could lead to a “catastrophic failure”. Qantas has been ordered to carry out further inspections.
AFP reports:
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said a misaligned component had thinned the wall of an oil pipe in the exploded engine, causing “fatigue cracking” that prompted leakage and a fire “central to the engine failure”. “This condition could lead to an elevated risk of fatigue crack initiation and growth, oil leakage and potential catastrophic engine failure from a resulting oil fire,” the ATSB said, noting it was “understood to be related to the manufacturing process.”
The Bureau issued a directive urging Rolls-Royce to “address the safety issue and take actions necessary to ensure the safety of flight operations in transport aircraft equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 series engines.” Qantas said it would immediately conduct further engine investigations as a result of the findings, but stressed it was just a precautionary measure and “there is no immediate risk to flight safety.”
“Qantas currently has two A380 aircraft in operational service, following the grounding of the fleet on 4 November. Both A380 aircraft will be inspected at the Qantas Jet Base in Sydney,” the airline said. “Inspections will commence this afternoon.”
The flagship carrier said it would determine whether further action would need to be taken after inspections were complete and it had consulted both Rolls-Royce and regulators. “Qantas does not anticipate at this stage that the inspections will have an impact on international services. However contingency arrangements will be in place, if needed,” it said.
The findings come just five days after Qantas resumed A380 flights, though the carrier has barred the superjumbo from trans-Pacific trips to Los Angeles due to the extra engine thrust required. It had grounded all six of its Airbus superjumbos after the November 4 blast over the Indonesian island of Batam, which forced an A380 to return to Singapore airport trailing smoke.
Checks revealed problems with 16 of the total 24 Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines powering Qantas’s A380s — four per plane — meaning the turbines would have to be replaced or modified.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce on Saturday said he was “100 percent comfortable” with the A380s’ operation.
As reported by the WSJ, Qantas has already said that they will be claiming compensation from Rolls Royce.
Tags: Australian Transport Safety Bureau, critical safety issue with Trent 900, Qantas, Rolls-Royce Trent 900, Trent 900 failure
Posted in Aviation, Business, Engineering, Technology | Comments Off on “Critical safety issue” with Trent 900 could lead to “catastrophic failure”: Qantas to make further inspections
December 1, 2010
Of course UK MP’s are not alone among politicians who make creative and extravagant expense claims. I would suspect that Members of the European Parliament in particular could teach the UK MP’s more than a few tricks in this regard.
But The Telegraph reports the UK MP’s still spend considerable time pushing the envelope of what is an allowable expense – even after the supposed crack-down on expenses.
A list of 1,574 claims, rejected by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) in the space of five months, shows that politicians have attempted to claim back money for their mortgage repayments, first-class travel and excessive hospitality.
The document, obtained by The Times newspaper, which lists a total of rejected claims worth £116,359, also reveals how parliamentarians submitted duplicate claims and did not provide suitable documentary evidence to back up their claims.
One MP was refused £338 for a shredder, while another tried to claim £1,057 for advertising. A third asked for £1,085 for ”contingencies”. All claims, which were submitted between May and September this year, were refused by Ipsa – the body set up to administer MPs expense claims.
The unsuccessful claims amounted to 7% of the total submitted by MPs during the period.
The most bizarre claims:
a limed oak toilet seat
- £97: Derek Conway (Ind, Old Bexley & Sidcup) two ‘limed oak toilet seats’. Also spent £76 on two loo roll holders at Peter Jones in London
- 55p: Andrew Selous (Con, South West Beds) claimed for a mug of Horlicks in the House of Commons tea room one evening in March this year
- 99p: Danny Alexander (Lib Dem, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey) bought Mr Muscle cleaning fluid from a 99p shop
- £43.56: James Arbuthnot (Con, Hampshire NE) successfully claimed for three ‘Genius 4 piece garlic peeling & cutting set’ bought on QVC shopping channel
- £760: Alan Milburn (Lab, Darlington) went on a shopping spree in John Lewis in March 2009 including Nigella Lawson measuring spoons and a Jamie Oliver frying pan
- £175: Julie Kirkbride (Con, Bromsgrove) claimed for a Samuel Heath Curzon extending shaving mirror from John Lewis
- £5: Ben Chapman (Lab, Wirral South) claimed for a three pack of ‘waffle’ coat hangers from John Lewis
- £2,300: Crispin Blunt (Con, Reigate) claimed for ‘brickwork’ including work on his ‘water wheel structure’ and terracotta fireplace
- £2: Phil Hope (Lab, Corby) claimed for a Hamburger Maker from John Lewis, together with a £5 swivel peeler and two £6 tea towels
- £24: Lindsay Roy (Lab, Glenrothes) bought a Babyliss Salon Dry hairdryer despite having thinning hair. His claim was rejected by the fees office
- £105: Douglas Alexander (Lab, Paisley & Renfrewshire South) claimed for having the chimney swept at his designated second home in Scotland
- £562.23: Kali Mountford (Lab, Colne Valley) bought an LCD TV in West Yorkshire but said it was for her designated second home in London
- £2.95: David Ruffley (Con, Bury St Edmunds) bought an ‘anti moth proofer’ from Peter Jones of Sloane Square. A few months later he bought another six anti-moth sachets costing £24
- £420: Lynne Jones (Lab, Birmingham Selly Oak) claimed for Farrow & Ball Toile Trellis wallpaper in April 2008, and also claimed £28.80 for a food mixer
Tags: corruption, corruption in high places, Member of Parliament, UK MP's expense claims
Posted in Behaviour, Corruption, Ethics | Comments Off on UK MP’s continue with their expense claim shenanigans
December 1, 2010
Tags: Health, Lung cancer, Smoking, Smoking down lung cancer up
Posted in Medicine, Science | Comments Off on Settled Science? Smoking declines, lung cancer cases increase
November 30, 2010
The “settled science” of climate change seems to be opening up to real science – at last. Nasa and the University of Colorado are establishing a new research centre dedicated to studying the effect of the sun on climate.
And about time too.
Perhaps they could let the 15,000 gathered in Cancun know about the importance the Sun may have!
Today the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center announced the formation of a new collaborative research center dedicated to the study of the Sun’s effect on Earth’s climate. The Press release goes on to say:
The newly announced Sun-Climate Research Center, a collaboration between LASP and Goddard, will focus on research areas such as how solar variations shape Earth’s atmosphere and climate. This image of the sun is from the LASP-built NSF Precision Solar Photometric Telescope (PSPT). (Courtesy NASA/GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio; source data courtesy of HAO and LASP PSPT project team)
The center, called the Sun-Climate Research Center (SCRC), will be directed by Peter Pilewskie, a LASP research scientist and CU professor, Robert Cahalan, Head of Goddard’s Climate and Radiation Branch, and Douglas Rabin, Head of Goddard’s Solar Physics Laboratory.
Pilewskie said, “The exciting thing about this collaboration is that we believe it will promote studies to help answer a key question about the climate system: how does Earth’s atmosphere respond to the sun’s variability, and how does that affect climate? This question is particularly important now, as we seek to quantify the human-induced impact on Earth’s climate.”
The SCRC, which has been made possible by a Federal Space Act Agreement, will foster collaboration between Earth-atmosphere and solar sciences at the two institutions. Opportunities will include a scientist exchange program between the organizations, the ability for post-doctoral scientists and graduate students in science, engineering, and mission operations to move between LASP and Goddard, annual international Sun-Climate research symposia, and the ability for the two institutions to collaborate more fluidly on future research opportunities.
Robert Cahalan, SCRC co-director and Goddard scientist, said, “In recent years Goddard and LASP have worked together on several Earth and Sun missions. Now we look forward to continuing to drive growth in this key interdisciplinary field of Sun-Earth research, bringing new focus to the study of multiyear changes in the Sun and their influence on Earth’s climate.”
With a limited number of such agreements between U.S. universities and any of NASA’s ten field centers, the SCRC represents a rare and innovative step, underscoring LASP’s ability to develop high-caliber research and programmatic opportunities with Goddard.
Daniel Baker, LASP Director, said, “LASP has developed some remarkable areas of expertise that are key to studying the sun and its effect on climate and on human activities. By working with our colleagues at Goddard, we can leverage our skills—and help take an important step toward greater cooperation between NASA centers and leading university research teams.”
Tags: Cancún, LASP, NASA, Sun, Sun and Climate, University of Colorado at Boulder
Posted in Astronomy, Climate, Science, Solar science | Comments Off on Nasa/University of Colorado establish Sun-Climate Research Center
November 30, 2010
To have a result – of any kind and whether valid or not – seems to be more important than having a proper election result for OAS and CARICOM (Organisation of American States and the Caribbean Community).
Haiti Libre asks plaintively:
But we must remember that in these elections, Haiti did not have much to say. It is decided internationally what is good or what is not for us!
Sometimes we wonder why our citizens have been voting at all?
Election scrutineers are let in to the Santa Ana de Cité Soleil polling station in Port-au-Prince on 29th November. image The Independant
The BBC reports that
Haiti’s general election on Sunday was valid despite “serious irregularities”, international observers have said. The joint mission from the Organisation of American States and the Caribbean regional grouping, Caricom, said delays at some polling stations were not reason enough to cancel the election. Polling day on Sunday was marred by disorganisation and some violence, as well as allegations of fraud in favour of the governing party candidate, Jude Celestin.
The election was characterised by mismanagement and incidents of fraud, our correspondent says. There were multiple reports of would-be voters turning up at polling stations to find they were not registered to vote – and of others having the right papers but no idea where to vote. Some polling stations opened hours late, there were allegations that some people were voting multiple times, and thugs ransacked some polling stations.
Hopefully the cholera outbreak will not get a boost from the enhanced human contact during the campaigning and polling process. But the death toll has passed 2,000. The UN especially has displayed organisational incompetence.
Tags: CARICOM, Election fraud, election results, Haiti, OAS, UN
Posted in Behaviour, Election fraud, Environment, Natural Disasters, UN | Comments Off on OAS/CARICOM accept Haiti election results: Was voting necessary?
November 30, 2010
Östergötland Sweden: image buscainmobiliarias.com
Here in the Östergötland region of Sweden, we have about minus 10 degrees Celsius today and the snow is thick on the ground. Folkbladet reports that winter has not come so early in over 50 years. It was back in 1965 when the winter came almost as early as this year. Looking out over the current postcard like winter landscape the doomsday scenarios painted at Cancun yesterday seem not only surreal but also lacking common sense.
Free translation:
Winter came early to Norrköping this year. In fact, it has not been this early in 50 years. An unusual weather condition is to blame for the sudden start of
winter 2010.
Until this year 1965 was the earliest winter in common memory. Then the ground was covered with snow on November 14th. In 2010 we recorded the first “snow chaos” on 10th November. And since then the blanket has only become thicker and thicker. “We now have nearly 30 cm of snow”, said Jon Ekwall at SMHI (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute).
In 1965 we had “only” 7cm of snow on November 29th with a temperature of minus 8 degrees. Today it is minus 10 degrees.
The reason for the winter coming so hard and so early has not yet been analysed deeply. Meteorologists do not see any impending doom or any link to climate change either.
“We do not really know why we get this weather situation. It is only chance, “said Linnea Rehn, meteorologist at SMHI. “We have a weather situation that allows it to be colder than usual. Normally, there is a pressure over Iceland and a low pressure over the Azores, and this pressure difference means that you get a gentle western breeze blowing in”, Linnea explains further. “But at the moment the pressure difference is not as large as usual leading to the cold winds blowing down from the north into Sweden”. And Linnea adds that today’s temperature is much lower than normal. The average temperature is 8-9 degree below zero instead of being around zero.
And so a new record is set in the common memory.
Tags: Östergötland, early winter, Norrköping
Posted in Climate, Sweden, Weather | Comments Off on Earliest winter in 50 years
November 30, 2010
The information paradigm is changing, whether in the political or industrial or commercial or academic world. We are now in the age of megadumps of information and megaleaks from Wikileaks and its inevitable successors.
While the world’s governments threaten legal action against Wikileaks, and bemoan the damage to diplomacy, Australia is considering whether to revoke Julian Assange’s passport. Media which were not in the group of 5 who received the documents in advance are writing heavyweight editorials about the dangers to society of publishing “confidential” information. Some politicians want Wikileaks to be declared a terrorist organisation and many are warning of the “number of lives that will be put at risk”. Professors are weighing in with the dangers to history ! They are all attacking the messenger but “methinks they do protest too much”.
The risk, if any, emanates ultimately from the information or action that is the subject of the document released, not from the release in itself. Diplomats – or others – who are involved in “speaking with a forked tongue” must accept that their duplicity may be revealed. When governments – in the name of the society they represent – take upon themselves the right to tap telephones, intercept documents divert emails, search or arrest members of that society to collect “confidential” information then they will just have to live with the fact that members of that society may feel – technology permitting – the necessity to access and disseminate “confidential” government information. The information world has changed irreversibly and megadumps of information is a reality. It is not a genie which can be stuffed back into the bottle — though some politicians will try.
Attacking the messenger is essentially counter-productive.
I am sure that the self-righteous (and self-serving) indignation currently being exhibited by many politicians and diplomats as their dirty laundry becomes visible will not be present with the next megadump – according to Forbes – of Wikileaks revelations – concerning the banking sector. I find that this information may be of greater public interest than some of the secrets of governments – but that is because I have such low expectations of politicians and diplomats. I have the belief that being in government is inherently corrosive (the corruption of power) and all who attain “positions of power” will always engage in hypocrisy and double-talk. Forbes writes:
Early next year, Julian Assange says, a major American bank will suddenly find itself turned inside out. Tens of thousands of its internal documents will be exposed on Wikileaks.org with no polite requests for executives’ response or other forewarnings. The data dump will lay bare the finance firm’s secrets on the Web for every customer, every competitor, every regulator to examine and pass judgment on.
Sitting for a rare interview in a London garden flat on a rainy November day, he compares what he is ready to unleash to the damning e-mails that poured out of the Enron trial: a comprehensive vivisection of corporate bad behavior. “You could call it the ecosystem of corruption,” he says, refusing to characterize the coming release in more detail. “But it’s also all the regular decision making that turns a blind eye to and supports unethical practices: the oversight that’s not done, the priorities of executives, how they think they’re fulfilling their own self-interest.”
The diplomatic cable megadump is already a reality. The banking megadump will follow. And after banking it may be Energy.
The full transcript of Assange’s interview with Andy Greenberg is here.
Tags: Banking, Julian Assange, Megadump, megaleak, Wikileaks
Posted in Behaviour, Business, Corruption, Ethics, Media | Comments Off on Next target for Wikileaks will be a megadump of banking information
November 29, 2010
The Cancun jamboree kicked-off today and started by reiterating the Global Warming Alarmist creed. Drastic – should we say Draconian? – measures would be needed. Some of the suggestions :
- Stop economic growth in rich countries within 20 years
- Introduce food rationing
- Change lifestyles (reduce heating)
- limit electricity usage
- food transport be limited (to save on carbon footprint one understands!)
- people compelled to use public transport
The usual dire warnings of rising sea levels, droughts in river basins and mass migrations were not left out.
It sounds remarkably like the rantings of Pentti Linkola and his ecofascism.
The Telegraph has the whole story but it requires a strong stomach to read it all in one sitting!
Tags: Alarmism, Cancún, global warming, IPCC, UN
Posted in Alarmism, Behaviour, Climate, Fraud, UN | 1 Comment »
November 29, 2010
Sweden continues to show strong GDP growth and in the 3rd quarter of 2010 was significantly higher than the 5.2% forecast earlier by the Riksbank and reached “Asian” levels at 6.9%. Unemployment is down and expected to continue to reduce slowly and is currently at about 8%. The growth is primarily export led and exports to Asia and Latin America are particularly strong.
Freely translated from Svenska Dagbladet:
Today came the news that Sweden’s GDP landed at 6.9 percent for the third quarter of this year. The positive figure may accelerate interest rate increases. “It’s a really good figure. This is well above the Riksbank’s assessment “said Annika Winsth, chief economist at Nordea Bank. The Riksbank believed that the increase in GDP would end up at 5.2 percent for the third quarter and Nordea’s forecast was forjust 6.2 percent. This shows that Sweden’s economy is growing across the board, among households and businesses as well as in the state, according to Nordea’s chief economist Annika Winsth. “This means that there is still so much spare capacity left in companies, that there is a belief in the future. They dare to invest, “she says.
Robert Bergqvist, chief economist at SEB was surprised at the growth figure of 6.9 percent. “It’s a long way from what we thought. What strikes me is that the sun is shining so brightly in Sweden, while many countries in Europe have huge problems to contend with. Industry and employment have recovered remarkably quickly, although we are not 100 percent back yet”, he says. The main reasons for this is, according to Robert Bergqvist, that taxes and the krona exchange rate has made household purchasing power strong, helped the export industry and given strong public finances. The latter means that Sweden can avoid drastic tax increases, he says.
According to Annika Winsth Sweden’s economy is almost back to a “normal” economic level. “There is little left to do on the employment side “, she says. “We went stronger into the economic crisis than many other countries, and that means that we do not get hit as hard” she says.
Tags: 3rd quarter 2010, Economic growth, Sweden GDP
Posted in Business, Economy, International Trade, Sweden | Comments Off on Swedish 3rd Quarter GDP growth up to “Asian” levels at 6.9%
