Thursday Throughput: Solar Cycle Edition
The Sun has just entered a new solar cycle…In other words, the clock continues to tick. And it’s about time we did something about it.
Author: Michael Siegel
Mini-Throughput: Life on Venus Edition
This week the internets exploded with reports of a possible detection of life on Venus. Well … kinda.
Tenshot: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The final four episodes — which rival anything this side of The Empire Strikes Back — puts an exclamation point on one thing: this is not a series about Anakin Skywalker. The real protagonist of the series is Ahsoka Tano, his padawan.
Thursday Throughput: Big Black Hole Edition
This isn’t just a matter of a winnah and new champeen though. We’re learning how massive black holes are built.
Cause of Death
We have a tendency to turn a blind eye to the suffering of our fellow human if we think they did something to deserve it
Thursday Throughput: Polio Eradication Edition
Remember, a vaccine doesn’t have to give “sterilizing immunity”, in which you can’t catch the virus ever again. If it simply builds our resistance to the virus so that COVID-19 infections are mild, that will be enough.
Thursday Throughput: Galactic Cannibalism Edition
Sagittarius is not being “obliterated”. It’s finishing the process of joining our big happy Galaxy a little faster than we thought.
Biden Picks Kamala Harris
A VP pick is usually about is solidifying the base, balancing the ticket, & generating intra-party enthusiasm. Harris will do that just fine
Always at the Abyss
This reluctance to condemn, this refusal to delineate between protesting and rioting, bears responsibility for what happened in Chicago last night
![Vote! [Vote by Mail sign] By robertstinnet.](https://i0.wp.com/ordinary-times.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/vote.jpg?resize=520%2C260&ssl=1)
Only Politics Stays U.S. Postal Service From Their Appointed Rounds
Cutting US Postal Service hours and services for cities that are overwhelmed by mail only makes sense if your purpose is partisan.
Thursday Throughput: The Hope of a COVID-19 Vaccine
There are 200 teams around the world contributing to the one of the biggest and most dramatic scientific efforts in human history: a COVID-19 vaccine
Vacation Throughput: Comet NEOWISE
It may be decades before we see another one like NEOWISE. Or it may be next year. Who will I be when the next one comes? Or where?
Thursday Throughput: Comparing Catastrophes
I can see why it is being made. Both climate change and COVID-19 are science-heavy global problems. But the comparison doesn’t work…
The Layered Genius of Miyazaki, Part II
The bonds between Miyazaki’s characters are the sinews binding his movies together, bringing all this wondrous art, imagery, and themes into one coherent whole.
Thursday Throughput: Missing COVID Deaths Edition
The initial wave of infections was massive, much worse that it looks if you only use confirmed detections. But the resurgence is bad and getting worse. This is not just testing; this is an actual resurgence of the virus.
President Ye?
As of this writing, I have no idea whether this is Kanye being serious, Kayne being a troll, Kanye being somewhat deranged, Kanye getting a brainfart or Kanye having a joke with his friend Donald Trump.
Mini-Throughput: The Living Sun
That’s why studying the Sun matters. That’s why SDO matters. The more we know about the Sun, the better our chances of avoiding a disaster.
Thursday Throughput: Xenon Edition
So have we finally detected dark matter? It’s not clear. As the group themselves note, even a tiny amount of contamination could produce the signal they are seeing.
The Layered Genius of Miyazaki, Part I
You don’t have to be an animator to draw inspiration from Miyazaki’s films. Nor do you need to be an expert on anime. All that’s required is an appreciation for great film-making.
Thursday Throughput: Caldera Edition
We’re still learning about the caldera and its past. But perhaps this is one cataclysm a little less likely to hit in 2020.
