Environment

Resetting the Doomsday Clock

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced today that it would push their Doomsday Clock back one minute — to six minutes to midnight — in recognition of President Obama’s efforts to combat nuclear proliferation and climate change.

Original Article

The Doomsday clock was first established, by scientists, in 1947 and has only been adjusted 18 times since. An average of just over once every presidential term.

An argument could be made that the rising influence of the extreme right in the USA is potentially bringing global catastrophe closer but that is a discussion for another place.

Stunning Mars Photo

This is without a doubt the most amazing photograph of the planet Mars I’ve seen to date. Despite the fact that there is no life in this landscape it has an extremely organic look to it. I don’t know if anyone reading this has had any experience with the 3D modelling software Truespace but this image looks very similar to one of the textures that came with the package.

Here is the process that produces this landscape:

In the Martian winter, carbon dioxide freezes out of the air (and you thought it was cold where you are). In the summer, that CO2 sublimates; that is, turns directly from a solid to a gas. When that happens the sand gets disturbed, and falls down the slopes in little channels, which spreads out when it hits the bottom. But this disturbs the red dust, too, which flows with the sand. When it’s all done, you get those feathery tendrils. Note that at the tendril tips, you see blotches of red; that’s probably from the lighter dust billowing a bit before settling down.

From this article which is a must read.

H/T NellaSelim Daily Kos where I first came across this

Climate Change Summit Copenhagen

The 11 day climate summit started about 8 hours ago. Here are a couple of resources which I will be using a lot:

Video of the event including a chat type function for questions etc.

https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/uscenter
Just invent a guest name and you are good to go.

Read more…