This week will feature a lot more science, with a nostalgic entry tomorrow, but focusing on the latest issue of Scientific American from Wednesday:- What was the worst day ever for Planet Earth? Which could well have been the best for us, as mammals began to develop.
- What was the worst event for Humanity?
- World War II?
- 70,000 years ago when Homo sapiens almost became extinct.
- Our biggest killer, heart disease, explained.
- First contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.
A cosmic mystery is a fast radio burst. The brand new Chinese 500-meter Tianyan "Eye of Heaven" detected 1,652 independent bursts from just one source over a period of 47 days. So what? Well, in a few thousandths of a second (this is a tiny period of time much shorter than one second), one burst produces as much energy as our Sun does in a whole month.- The Ukraine War, if we survive, will spur more serious talks about total nuclear disarmament.
On to the stories of the day:
- This weekend 13 mass shooting gun violence incidents led to 18 killed and 72 injured, just in the USA.
- Happened everywhere: Tennessee, Arizona, Virginia and South Carolina.
- Considering that there are 124 gun caused deaths/day in the country, I guess this weekend was a mild one.
- But this is because suicides actually account for more than half of gun deaths.
Nigeria almost out did us yesterday, for gunmen killed at least 50 people in a Catholic church in a terroristic attack. No one yet arrested. Extremists have killed at least 35,000 to establish Shariah law and stop Western education. Interestingly enough, while the USA is #1 in guns per capita with 1.2, Nigeria is #150 with 0.03 guns/person.
- The odds are 91% he will continue to lead the UK.
- One reason is that his Conservative Party has 359 MPs in the House of Commons, and only 15% can trigger this type of vote. A majority is required.
- Current polls show that 58% of them favor him.
- If he wins, he can't be challenged again for a year, probably meaning that he will be Prime Minister until January of 2025.
Wednesday will be 59-year old Kim Phuc Phan Thi, Vietnam's "napalm girl," 50th anniversary since becoming a symbol of peace. That photo won Nick Ut a Pulitzer prize in 1972. She underwent 17 surgeries in 14 months. She later found Christianity and said that forgiveness set my heart free. In 1994 she was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She weekly talks to Ut. Further:
Although Phúc previously hated her photograph, she came to change, saying, “today, I thank God for that picture. Today, I thank God for everything—even for that road. Especially for that road.” She now realizes that had it not been for the bombs that dropped, she never would have wanted to become a doctor, never would have embarked on the path of studies, never would have encountered the Bible, and never would have become a Christian.
She became a war symbol for the North Vietnamese socialist government, but given permission to travel to Russia with her husband for their honeymoon, during a refuel stop in Canada, they escaped, and now live with their two sons in Toronto.
Hurricane Agatha in the Pacific became Tropical Storm Alex in the Gulf and now Atlantic. Earlier today rose to 70 MPH, but is now slightly weakening, and continuing to move away from the U.S. The season is just beginning. Note that a tropical storm becomes a hurricane at 74 MPH.
On 15 October 2015 Super Hurricane Patricia reached a top wind speed of 215 miles per hour, sustained for one minute, in the East Pacific Ocean. Made landfall over Jalisco, Mexico at 150 MPH. Super is added when the storm reaches 157 MPH.
Super Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Yolanda) on 7 November 2013 made landfall over the Guiuan, Philippines at 190 MPH. Nearly 7400 were killed or listed as still missing.
Remember giant Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans in 2005? Haiyan was not only more powerful, but also larger.. Note the difference in the diameter of the eye.
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