CaaC (John)

We need to put back the women who were written out of science history Claire Jones 23 hrs ago © Provided by Independent Digital News & Media Limited Caroline Herschel languishes in the shadow of her brother William Can you name a female scientist from history? Chances are you are shouting out Marie Curie. The twice Nobel Prize-winning Curie and mathematician Ada Lovelace are two of the few women within western science to receive lasting popular recognition. One reason women tend to be absent from narratives of science is because it’s not as easy to find female scientists on the public record. Even today, the numbers of women entering science remain below those of men, especially in certain disciplines. A-level figures show only 12 percent of candidates in computing and 22 percent in physics in 2018 were women. Another reason is that women do not fit the common image of a scientist. The idea of the lone male genius researcher is remarkably persistent. But looking to history can both challenge this portrayal and offer some explanation as to why science still has such a masculine bias.

Cheers boss

Marseille are looking at two Spain full-backs - Arsenal's Nacho Monreal, 32, and Liverpool's Alberto Moreno, 26 - as the French side look to strengthen their squad in January. (France Football - in French)

All this Science Fiction has got me going, I have read the book Dune by Frank Herbert and yesterday the film Dune (1984) was on tv, just realized now that I have put a book and film topic into the Sci-Fic thread.

Science & Environment 'Digital museum' brings millions of fossils out of the dark By Victoria GillScience correspondent, BBC News, Washington DC 9 December 2018 (Video - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46497406) The bid to create a "global digital museum" has been welcomed by scientists, who say it will enable them to study valuable specimens that are currently "hidden" in museum drawers. Museums including London's Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian in Washington DC are involved. They have set out ambitious plans to digitise millions of specimens. Digitally recording the 40 million fossils at the Smithsonian will take an estimated 50 years. But five years into the project, the team says it is "bringing dark data into the light" for crucial research. The day the fossil feathers flew What is digitisation?

It would be like having a date with Marie Curie aka Nudge.

You would think the Japanese would be involved in something like this as they have some very intelligent scientists and have the technology nowadays but It looks like the Chinese are way ahead of them.

Looking at this I might have been reincarnated then as ET far, far away from Earths disaster.

Funny enough I thought about tagging him about that video and find out exactly what that was about, where the fireball came from and was the guy ok?

Talking about StarTrek as I said I love The Next Generation but have also watched the series of Deep Space Nine & Voyager but the Enterprise series I just could not get into that one for some reason and stopped watching it after a while but after you lot talking about the Discovery series which I have not seen yet I might give that a try, the Star Trek series in order for me would be... Star Trek - The Next Generation Voyager Deep Space Nine You never know, after watching Discovery it might knock The Next Generation off of my perch but I doubt it.

Bloody hell, I take it he was ok after. Pakistani anchor gets hit by a ball of fire on live TV. Watch viral video IndiaToday.in 2 days ago An unsuspecting Pakistani journalist was in for the rudest shock of his life when he got hit by a ball of fire during a live TV broadcast. The anchor was in a panel discussion during a live broadcast when suddenly the ball of fire hit him. In the video clip that has been circulating crazily on social media, one can hear the sound of a cracker-like burst followed by the unprecedented mishap on live TV. Take a look at the video first: The anchor gets visibly shaken by the burst sound and is hit by the fire just a few seconds later. He immediately gets out of the frame while the panelist answers his question and tries to save himself from the fire. This is the most bizarre thing we have seen in the longest time. But this is not the only bizarre thing that has happened on a Pakistani news channel. Just recently, Pakistani PM Imran Khan was trolled mercilessly for a very stupid mistake made by the Pakistan Television Corporation. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/pakistani-anchor-gets-hit-by-ball-of-fire-on-live-tv-watch-viral-video/ar-BBQBDtG?ocid=chromentp

Endangered Hawaiian monk seals baffle scientists by getting eels stuck in their noses Chelsea Ritschel 1 day ago The behavior of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal has researchers confused - after multiple incidents involving the creatures getting eels stuck up their noses. In a recent photo shared on Facebook by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program (HMSRP), a Hawaiian monk seal lies against green foliage with a white-and-brown spotted eel hanging from its nostril. “Mondays… it might not have been a good one for you but it had to be better than an eel in your nose,” the HMSRP captioned the photo. The unlucky situation led many to raise questions on Facebook, where the photo has been shared more than 1,200 times. But, according to the HMSRP, the incident is just the latest in a phenomenon that was first recorded in 2016 - and researchers don’t actually know why it keeps happening. On the NOAA’s website, researchers explained that although they have been monitoring the behavior of the endangered Hawaiian monk seals for over 40 years, they are not sure why the juvenile seals have all of a sudden started getting eels stuck in their noses. “We don’t know if this is just some strange statistical anomaly or if we will see more eels in seals in the future,” the program wrote. However, the scientists did hypothesise possible explanations for the slippery situations. One possible reason may be the way Hawaiian monk seals forage for food. According to the NOAA, the seals forage by “shoving their mouth and nose into the crevasses of coral reefs, under rocks, or into the sand,” and are often looking for prey like eels - which may try to defend themselves. The situation may also arise as a result of a meal not being properly digested - which may then be regurgitated through the nose. “We might never know,” the researchers wrote. Fortunately, in each instance, the eels were removed and the seals were unharmed. Despite the successful removals, Charles Littnan, the HMSRP’s lead scientist, says he wishes the seals would stop finding themselves in the tricky situations - which he suggests may have another explanation. “It almost does feel like one of those teenage trends that happen,” Mr. Littnan told The Washington Post. “One juvenile seal did this very stupid thing and now the others are trying to mimic it.” “I would gently plead for them to stop,” he said - as there is the possibility that the eels could pose a health risk to the seals. In addition to infections, the “really quite long eels” can hinder the seals’ ability to dive for food - as seals typically close their nostrils underwater. As for the eels, they “did not make it,” according to the HMSRP. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/endangered-hawaiian-monk-seals-baffle-scientists-by-getting-eels-stuck-in-their-noses/ar-BBQEJFr?ocid=chromentp

Mesmerising footage shows rare 'ice pancakes' phenomenon covering a river in the Scottish Highlands Bryony Jewell For Mailonline 1 day ago Dozens of the rare 'ice pancakes' were spotted on the River Helmsdale in the Strath of Kildonan, Scotland, by Daniel Norrie Mesmerising footage shows a sea of 'ice pancakes' of all different sizes covering a river in the Scottish Highlands. The 'rare phenomenon' on the River Helmsdale was such a spectacle that it prompted a group of binmen to pull over and take in the unusual view. Binman and nature photographer Daniel Norrie, 31, took photos and video of 'ice pancakes' that are caused when pieces of ice knock together and create circular shapes. Daniel had been driving through Strath of Kildonan, Scotland, on Wednesday when he spotted the sight from his window while working. So interested by what he had seen, he asked his colleague to pull over so he could snap the beautiful river as he'd never seen anything like it before. Mr. Norrie, from Brora, Scotland, said: 'After we'd driven past these strange-looking things, I asked the driver if we could stop briefly so I could have a look at what they were. 'I was just so puzzled and interested by them, then I learned they were called ice pancakes. I think they look more like prawn crackers than pancakes. 'They varied in size - some were the size of a DVD while others were the size of a vinyl. 'I regularly take pictures of sunrises in winter, and I've definitely taken nicer pictures before but nothing as unique as this.' Mr. Norrie, who regularly takes pictures of winter sunrises while on the job, admits these images are his best yet. The pancakes sit on top of the water, are all different sizes and form when the weather gets very cold Mr. Norrie said he was 'puzzled and interested' by the floating discs and added that they look more like 'prawn crackers' to him According to the Met Office, ice pancakes require very specific conditions to form and are most commonly seen in the Baltic Sea, but can also form in North America and Canada. The discs formed can measure anywhere between eight and 80 inches and are described as a 'unique spectacle.' Whilst ice pancakes look like solid discs, they are often quite slushy and easily break apart when lifted up. On rivers, the pancakes form when foam begins to freeze and then joins together and as they are sucked into an eddy (a swirling current of water) and a circular shape is made, says the Met Office. Mr. Norrie said: 'I went down the river bank to have a look as I had never seen these before. It was clearly ice but I couldn't figure out how the 'pancakes' had formed so I had to do some research. 'I had no idea they were so rare, I'd never seen anything like them. As far as I've read, they're caused by foam freezing and bouncing off other bits of frozen foam.' https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/mesmerising-footage-shows-rare-ice-pancakes-phenomenon-covering-a-river-in-the-scottish-highlands/ar-BBQFp9c?ocid=chromentp

@Bluewolf got me going with his new Sci-Fic thread so I had a quick check of the tv and found a Dennis Quaid movie Enemy Mine (1985), not bad but the Alian in it was a bit meh to me.

I see @Cannabis has changed his avatar photo, but I always have an image of him as... PREDATOR

What about

Aye, off subject again to your glorious new thread they say the Unicorn story came from a sea creature called The Narwhal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwhal The unicorn and the narwhal: a tale of the tooth. Christen AG1, Christen JA. Author information Abstract From as far back as the early Roman era, detailed descriptions and artistic images of the unicorn have been imagined. In Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East, this creature became accepted as real. Although such an animal had never actually been seen, it was said to have the appearance of a horse, the beard and cloven hooves of a goat, the tail of a lion, and a single, spear-like horn protruding from the center of its forehead. The unicorn myth originated shortly after unidentified horn-like objects, from six to ten feet long, began to appear in ancient European marketplaces. Physicians quickly ascribed outlandish healing properties to these horns, pulverizing them for the treatment of various diseases. In 1638, a Danish zoologist challenged these claims and provided evidence that the so-called "unicorn horn" was actually the tusk (tooth) of the narwhal from the Arctic seas. However, his findings remained unheeded for the next 100 years. This paper explains how the myth of the unicorn and the purported powers contained within the substance of its magical horn evolved from the ages-old spoils of the Arctic fishing trade, where the narwhal was primarily speared for food and secondarily, for the export value of its ivory tusk. This unusually long, pointed and protruding single tooth, which breaks through the upper lip and the left jaw of each male narwhal, became a highly valuable commodity over the following centuries, due to its believed supernatural origins and curative qualities.

The music to that was haunting and another Golden Oldie that I still watch nowadays.

I am a Star Trek - The Next Generation fanatic and I have watched that series over and over again, I love it and my favorite two characters are Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) and Data (Brent Spiner).

@SirBalon it's your favorite, UNICORNS The Poison-Detecting Secret Weapon of the Middle Ages: Unicorn Horn Emma Jacobs 1 day ago In the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, Europeans knew that unicorns were real. After all, their horns were the treasured possessions of royalty, nobility, and even clergy. Charles VI of France had one, as did Lorenzo de Medici, and Danish rulers sat on a throne carved out of them. Queen Elizabeth, I had a fully intact horn she used as a scepter; it was valued at 10,000 pounds—roughly the cost of a castle in her day. In fact, unicorn horns were considered so valuable the Elizabethan dramatist John Dekker wrote that one was "worth a city." But unicorns horns weren't prized just for their beauty or rarity, or as tokens of extreme wealth. They were believed to be a powerful defense against disease—and poison.

I have read a lot of James Herbert books and the best two were The Rats and The Fog, both made into movies, now this book (photo) our daughter got me and said "You will like this pops" and I did, a bit gruesome in parts and it reminded me of some of Stephen Kings books... I had just got out of the hospital after having an op for a collapsed lung when she gave me this and when I started to read it I kept thinking about my lung lol. SPARES

Live Science > Space Tiny 'Blueberries' on Mars Continue to Baffle Scientists By Meghan Bartels, Senior Writer, Space.com | December 8, 2018, 09:19 am ET It was just a few months after NASA's Opportunity rover touched down on Mars in 2004 that it spotted a geological curiosity: tiny, iron-rich spheres scattered across the rock surface near the robot's landing site. Snack-loving scientists working with the mission dubbed these objects "blueberries," but the features were easier to name than to understand. Their recipe remains something of a puzzle. Trying to sort out the origins of these blueberries has always involved studying similar-looking spherical formations here on Earth. New research takes its inspiration from these terrestrial analogs to offer a new idea of the chemistry that may have gone into whipping up these Martian blueberries. In turn, this research helps reveal what ancient Mars may have looked like. The blueberries are tantalizing for more than just their whimsical name; they also constituted some of the earliest evidence we had that Mars was once incredibly wet. "No matter what the exact chemistry of these spherules was to start, the fact that they're there tells us [that] a lot of liquid water moved through these rocks over time," Briony Horgan, a planetary scientist at Purdue University in Indiana, told Space.com. And if scientists can parse out precisely how the blueberries formed, that may help us understand what Mars was like back when the features formed — and what sort of life could have theoretically thrived in those circumstances, Horgan said. So, the team behind the new research traveled to two different terrestrial destinations in search of rock formations that resemble Martian blueberries: Utah and Mongolia. These formations aren't identical to those on Mars, which are about a tenth the size of the Earthly equivalents. Our planet's formations are also less orderly than the Martian versions. "They're all blobbed together. They're different sizes," Horgan said of the terrestrial features. But it's much easier to get to Utah and Mongolia than to Mars, so scientists use these features despite the imperfect comparison. The researchers found that the formations seemed to have been built around cores of a mineral called calcite, with iron-rich material in only the outer shell. "That moment [of discovery], it was very exciting," geochemist co-authors Hidekazu Yoshida of Nagoya University and Hitoshi Hasegawa of Kochi University in Japan, wrote in an email to Space.com. Based on those observations in the field and chemical modeling, the scientists suggested that floods of iron-rich, gently acidic water washed over the original calcite structures. Unlike the terrestrial versions, Martian blueberries seem to be made of hematite all the way through, no longer sporting any calcite heart. But that could point to a long period of overwash that ate through all the calcite, the researchers said. The nagging details of chemical reactions that may or may not have taken place on early Mars have larger implications. First, these details are relevant to scientists' natural interest in all that water that flowed through rocks to form the blueberries. "The chemistry of water tells us about the habitability of the environment," Horgan said. The second potential implication would relate to another long-standing debate about Mars — what happened to its once-thick atmosphere. The authors in the new study argued that this atmosphere could have gone into the carbonate ions locked in calcite precursors to the blueberries. But that wouldn't solve the atmospheric mystery, Steve Ruff, a planetary geologist at Arizona State University who works on the Opportunity mission, told Space.com. "My sense of what we know about the area of the hematite that we can map from orbit is it's not a huge area," covering less than 1 percent of Mars' surface, he said. There just aren't enough blueberries to pack away very much atmosphere. https://www.livescience.com/64265-mars-blueberries-mystery.html