Bill Nye Saves the World - Season 3

If case you didn't see the notice, Bill Nye Saves the World has returned to Netflix for Season 3!!!

Bill Nye Saves the World

This show is a great way to spend some time with your kids and science on a rainy summer day when going outside is not an option.

Bill Nye is back to save the world in season 3!

Climate Change Denial Myth #2: Are Sea Levels Rising?

Yesterday I started a new misconception series on the topic of climate change.  The first post looked at the "climate change is real, but the Sun causes it" myth.  Today we look at the "it's not real at all" myth that claims sea levels are not rising at all.

Are sea levels rising?

This question can be answered by measuring sea levels and charting the data over a long period of time, which has been done.  I pulled the graph below from Popular Science, but the data itself comes from NASA.

Data showing rise in sea levels.

A 3.4 mm rise in sea level may not seem like much, but over 30 years this works out to 8-10 cm.  Again, this may not seem like a lot, but when much of the world is at or near sea level, even a few centimeters makes a large difference to people living in coastal regions and their economies.  Effects in local economies can reverberate to the world economy which affects all of us. 

It's also important to chart sea levels over long periods of time to avoid cherry picking the data.  It's possible, due to local weather conditions, for overall sea level to decrease in any given year, as you can see above.  But the long term trend is continued sea level rise.

Sure, one could argue that NASA is lying, but to what gain?  The argument that sea levels are not rising is nonsense and easily disputed by the data.

Climate Change Denial Myth #1: Is Climate Change Caused by Solar Activity?

There are many people, primarily those supporting the Republican party in the United States, who deny climate change is real or claim change change is real but a result of natural causes. Both claims are wrong and proven to be wrong by sound science. I'm starting a new series on climate change myths and the first has to do with solar activity. Is climate change real but naturally caused by increased solar activity? The short answer is no. The long answer is also no.  :-)

The Sun.

The Sun provides Earth with energy and any increase in solar energy output has the potential to change Earth's climate. Does Earth's solar activity change?  The answer is yes. The Sun goes through an 11 year cycle in which activity starts at a maximum, drops to a minimum, and increases back to a maximum. During solar maximum, solar flares and solar sunspots are more frequent. Does this alter Earth's climate? The answer is no. If it did, we'd see climate changes matching the Sun's 11 year cycle. During periods of solar maximum, temperatures on Earth would increase. During periods of solar minimum, temperatures on Earth would decrease. But this is not what we see. We see a continued increase in surface temperatures regardless of solar activity. The graph below using real data shows very clearly there is no relationship between solar activity and temperature on Earth.

Plot taken from "https://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming.htm" with the following caption: "Annual global temperature change (thin light red) with 11 year moving average of temperature (thick dark red). Temperature from NASA GISS. Annual Total Solar Irradiance(thin light blue) with 11 year moving average of TSI (thick dark blue). TSI from 1880 to 1978 from Krivova et al 2007. TSI from 1979 to 2015 from the World Radiation Center (see their PMOD index page for data updates). Plots of the most recent solar irradiance can be found at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics LISIRD site."

There is no trend at all and it would be silly to claim solar activity is causing the drastic temperature increases we've seen over the last 50 years. Solar activity does play a role over very large time periods of hundreds of millions to billions of years. The Sun's activity will slowly increase as it ages and eventually raise temperatures on Earth to the point that Earth is no longer in the habitable zone. But this will not happen for another 500 million to 1 billion years. A much, much different time scale than the half-century we see our current climate changing.  

To sum up, yes, solar activity changes, but it has ups and downs. This activity does not correlate at all with rising temperatures on Earth. Over hundreds of millions to billions of years the Sun will play a role in changing our climate, but it plays no role over the changing climate of the last 50 years. The current climate change is directly related to humans burning fossil fuels. 

The Gas Giant Kept Mars Small

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in our Solar System.  It starts with Mercury, Venus, Earth, and finally Mars.  Venus is larger than Mercury, and Earth is larger than Venus.  If the pattern were to hold, we'd expect Mars to be larger than Earth.  But it isn't.  Mars is larger than Mercury, but smaller than both Venus and Earth.  Determining how the Solar System formed is a big area of research in astronomy and recent findings suggest Mars would have been much larger had it not been for the outer gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune).

THE GIANT PLANETS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM STUNTED THE GROWTH OF MARS

Very interesting!  The article states that Mars would likely have been about as big as the Earth if it weren't for the outer planets.  Thus it would have retained a magnetic field, atmosphere, and might have still been habitable to life.  A larger mass is needed to keep a magnetic field for a longer period of time and retain a thicker atmosphere.  Damn those outer planets!  LOL!

This Blog's History: Most Distant Star

In case you missed it last time, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to the post I wrote on astronomers discovering the most distant star to date.  It's about 9 billion light years away.  Wow!  For more, read the original post at the link below.

Most Distant Star Discovered

Is Milk Good for the Body?

If you grew up in the United States, you probably saw commercial after commercial advertising the many ways in which milk is good for your body.  I certainly did and it was usually linked to calcium and vitamin D.  I was not a big milk fan, except for milk in my cereal, so I made sure to purchase orange juice fortified with vitamin D and calcium to promote strong bone growth.  But how true is this?  What does the science say?  Here's a great article from Harvard discussing this issue.

Calcium: What’s Best for Your Bones and Health?

The part about your body needing calcium is true, but it's questionable as to how much calcium is needed to promote strong bone growth.  In addition, it's far more complicated than drinking milk.  There are many sources of calcium and there are many questions as to which sources are best.  What we do know is that the 'need' to drink milk is very misleading.  Yes, milk has calcium, but many other food sources do too.  Also consider that 75% of the world's population is lactose intolerant and can't digest dairy products!  Clearly they get their calcium intake from other sources.

Don't get me wrong, milk is not bad for you, but it's not the miracle drink it's made out to be in commercials and advertisements.

Science Fiction Anthologies at my Local Used Book Store

On a recent nice day I took a break from work and took a stroll down to the local used book store.  I've been here many times before, but today I discovered their science fiction anthology section!  It wasn't near the science fiction section and was hidden on the bottom of a large book shelf.  Thus my reason for not seeing it before today.  Upon my discovery my eyes popped wide as there were a ton of science fiction anthologies for purchase!!!  I started by picking this two book set for just $8.

A two book set for just $8!!!

How great is that?!?!!  A huge selection of science fiction stories for less than $10.  Can't beat that!  I will definitely be back for more.  Shhh...don't tell my wife!  She already thinks I have too many books at home.  Too many books?  Not possible!

The Bad Astronomy Newsletter

Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, has been around for quite some time.  He's written a couple of books and currently blogs for SyFy.  He's recently started an astronomy newsletter he publishes about twice per week.  Some of the newsletters are free to the public but to get the full batch, you need to subscribe and pay a monthly or annual fee.

Bad Astronomy Newsletter

Thus far I've only read the free issues, but Phil does a great job bringing complicated astronomy to the average person who may not have a strong astronomy background.  Plus he does a great job debunking astronomy related misconceptions.

If you like astronomy, I encourage you to check out Phil's newsletter.  If you really like it, it's $5/month or $50/yr to subscribe and get all of his stuff.  A pretty good deal!  And no, he did not pay me to say that.  He doesn't even know I exist.  :-(  :-)

New Paint on the Deck

Check out the paint job on our deck, done by yours truly!

Our deck gets a new paint job!

Unfortunately we won't get to use it as we are moving.  Painting the deck was part of the selling agreement as it really needed it.  Looks nice for the new homeowners.

This Blog's History: How to Say 'Uranus'?

In case you missed it last month, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to the post I wrote on the proper way to say Uranus.  It's a sticking point for every teacher in the world!  Giggles abound!!!

How to Say 'Uranus'

Skyview App

There are a lot of cool phone apps out there but no phone is complete without a good sky viewing app!  There's not need to carry around a paper sky map when you have your phone.  I encourage you to check out the Skyview app and install it on your phone.

Skyview App

This app is a great way to find objects in your night sky and it's free!  There's also a night viewing mode that changes the light from your phone screen to a red color where your eyes are less sensitive.  Although it's not harmful to your eyes, flooding them with light in the dark prevents you from seeing dimmer objects in the sky.  You have to wait each time for your eyes to adjust and that's no fun.  

So check out this app and see if you like it.  Again, every phone needs a good sky viewing app for those times you're outside and take a few moments to view the night sky!

Misconceptions That Kill #13: Is Brown Sugar Healthier than White Sugar?

At first glance of the title you may be wondering how brown versus white sugar is a deadly misconception.  It's not immediately deadly but can lead to health problems that result in one's death later in life.  There is a misconception that brown sugar is healthier for you than white sugar.  Unfortunately that is not the case.  The misconception argues that brown sugar is more natural than white sugar because white sugar is refined.  Brown sugar contains molasses and this is refined out to make white sugar. 

Brown sugar.

The harm comes when people replace white sugar with brown sugar under the misconception that it is healthier than white sugar.  This in turn can lead people to consume more sugar than they should.  Increased sugar consumption can lead to serious health effects, such as diabetes, which can then cause enough health problems leading to someone dying earlier than they would.  It's not a situation of choosing brown over white sugar.  It's a situation in which ANY sugar consumption should be limited.  Thinking brown sugar is healthier is a misconception that can lead to higher sugar consumption. 

Misconceptions That Kill #12: Homeopathy

It's been awhile since I've had a post in this Misconceptions That Kill series, so it's time to talk about a big one:  Homeopathy.  I've written on this blog several times in the past about homeopathy and the harm it causes.  To put it simply, homeopathy is the supposed treatment of diseases by using minute doses of natural substances.  To put it even more simply, it is a bunch of quackery that has no basis in science.  There are ZERO peer reviewed studies showing any benefit of homeopathy.  In fact, the opposite is true because people use homeopathic substances instead of real medicine when they are sick!!!  People literally die because they avoid real medications that could help them!!!

The sad thing about homeopathy is pharmacies stock homeopathic substances in the same aisles right next to real medications so sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the two without doing a very careful reading of the label.  This has happened to me before when I went to pick up a fever reducer and grabbed a homeopathic remedy that was nothing more than honey water.  Pissed me off when I got home!!!

Here are a few links to other posts I've written on the topic of homeopathy. 

Homeopathy Has No Basis in Science

Okay....I guess I've only written about homeopathy once before today.  :-)

Predicting Habitability Odds on Exoplanets

Many days in astronomy class I start the period asking for students to share current events they've come across in the field of astronomy.  It's a great time for the class as a whole to keep up with new developments in the field, but it's also a great opportunity for me to hear new things.  Recently a student shared an article discussing artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is being used to identify the habitability of exoplanets.

AI beats astronomers at predicting survivability of 'Tatooines'

For starters, learning more about exoplanets is always exciting!  Finding habitable planets is even more exciting!  Where there are habitable planets there is the possibility of life.  Using AI to help in this search is triple exciting!  A big part of why I love astronomy is that it is a constantly developing field.  New things are found or discovered all the time and you never know what new piece of info you'll wake up to each morning!  Once of these days I'll wake up and astronomers will have discovered life elsewhere in the Universe!!!  Now that will be an exciting day!

This Blog's History: Odds of an Underdog Victory

In case you missed it last month, I point you back to the post I wrote on the odds of a #16 seed beating a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, something that happened in the men's tournament for the first time this year.  You might be surprised to learn it's not all that shocking.  For more, click the link to the original article below.

Odds of an Underdog Victory

Newton is Chilling

I was recently painting one of our bedrooms, in preparation for putting our house on the market, when I snapped this photo.

Newton is chilling.

I had the ladder out for the higher ceiling areas, but for most of the job I didn't need the ladder.  Newton, our cat, quickly climbed to the top and spent most of the day up there watching me and looking out the window when I was painting.  LOL!  Silly kitty!

What is PMI?

Yesterday I shared we were buying a new house and selling our current house  That got me thinking about private mortgage insurance (PMI) and how it effected our home buying over a decade ago and our home buying this time around. 

So what is PMI?  It's a fee that you have to pay, on top of your monthly mortgage, to the bank that protects the lender (the bank) in the event you stop paying on your house.  PMI is typically less than 1% of your monthly mortgage, so maybe around $100 per month.  A bit more if your home loan is larger.  A bit less if your loan is less.  If your down payment is less than 20% of the selling price, you'll have to pay a monthly PMI until you've paid that loan down to less than 80% of the sale.

When we bought our first home we had no choice but to pay PMI.  Coming out of grad school there was simply no way to build up a 20% down payment.  Our choice was to rent for several years, or deal with the PMI.  We decided we really wanted a house, so we swallowed the PMI pill.  This time, however, paying PMI was not an option.  We've been looking for awhile, but waited until we had 20% on the home we wanted.  PMI provides no advantage to the home owner.  It is simply there to help protect the lender.  To you, the owner, it is wasted money every month. 

My advice to home buying.  Pay the PMI if that's the only way you can get into a house, but otherwise do what you can to put that 20% down to avoid the PMI. 

Selling our House

We've finally decided to sell our current house and move into a bigger house with an additional bedroom and more storage, plus a basement!!!  Now the trick is selling our home.  Fortunately the home market is strong for sellers in our area, so I'm hoping it won't take long to sell.  This will be the first time I've sold a home.  When we moved into our current home, we moved out of an apartment when I finished grad school so there was nothing to sell.  It's a lot easier to buy and move when you aren't trying to sell at the same time.

I've learned quite a bit in the home buying/selling process.  In many ways it is a science.  Determining the time of year when you first post your home listing can influence how quickly it sells.  The quality of the pictures in the posting is a big help in getting people to view your home.  You aren't going to get an offer unless people are viewing.  The more home views you have, the greater your chances of an offer.  And then there's pricing.  A bad initial price can result in selling at a lower price later and/or waiting much longer to sell. 

There's a reason most people aren't buying and selling homes on a more regular basis.  It can be hard, time consuming, and stressful!!!  We haven't yet sold, but hopefully soon!  Not really excited about trying to pay two mortgage payments at the same time!  Okay, writing this is making me stressed out.  LOL!  Time to take a break and binge watch something on Netflix.  :-)

Helen O'Loy

I recently read the short science fiction story "Helen O'Loy" written by Lester del Rey in 1938.  It was part of a science fiction anthology I've been reading.

Helen O'Roy

Helen O'Roy is about a robot designed to look like a female human being that lives with two male humans.  One of the male humans finds the robot falling in love with him and he moves away. only to move back and fall in love with the robot  It's a story of how humans interact with robots that are life like.  It's very interesting this was written in 1938 and foreshadows something that is not all that far off in today's future.  There are already robots that are somewhat life like and it is not far fetched at all to see humans falling in love with their robot companions.  

The robot-human relationship, in regards to physical and mental attraction, is one society will soon have to face.  It may still be several decades away, but it is a coming problem.  What does this mean for human-human relationships.  Can one human divorce another human and marry a robot?  What sort of rights will the robot have?  What will this mean for reproduction rates on the planet?  Will more people fall in love and live with robots because they are cheaper than living and falling in love with a human?  Will human-robot relationships become a norm?  Interesting questions that don't have easy answers.  What I can tell you, however, is that tossing away these questions as ridiculous will only harm a society that inevitably will have to face and answer them. 

This Blog's History: Indiana State Museum

For This Friday in This Blog's History I point you back to the post I wrote after we visited the Indiana State Museum. A great museum that is a must visit if you find yourself in Indianapolis.  Click below to read the full post.

Indiana State Museum

Most Distant Star Discovered

Astronomy never ceases to amaze me.  There's something new every day and we learn more and more about our cosmos.  Our Universe is measured to be 13.8 billion years old.  The most distant object we have discovered is a galaxy located about 13.4 billion light years away.  This means we are looking at this galaxy just 0.4 billion years after the Big Bang.  That's very early in our Universe!!!  But what about stars?  How far away can we still see individual stars?

Individual stars are harder to see at greater distances because the give off much, much less light than a galaxy.  Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers recently detected a star, a single star, at distance of 9 billion light years.  9 billion light years!!!  That's incredible for a single star! 

Image of the farthest detected single star.

Why do I love science and astronomy in particular?  Because of discoveries such as these.  9 billion light years???  Amazing!!!

Newton Loves Snow!

A few weeks ago we had our last snowfall of the season.  It was a weekend and we were at home.  There was very little accumulation, but there was little wind and the flakes were floating down slowly and were large in size.  Our kitty, Newton, found this quite interesting as you can see in the video below.

Newton never ceases to amaze us.  I can only imagine how he'd react if he saw raccoons (see post from two days ago) running across the yard.  LOL!  If he wasn't an inside kitty, I'd let him out on the deck to catch and maul the snowflakes!

Monster Pork Tenderloin

This post really isn't science related but sometimes I come across something I MUST share.  Today's must share is a monster of a pork tenderloin!

See what I mean?  Wow!!!  I came across this beauty at Squealer's BBQ in northern Indianapolis.  My daughter had just finished her soccer game in the area.  We were hungry and this place was close.  The pork tenderloin was not only huge, but also delicious.  Squealer's also had delicious pulled pork.  And our family of four ate full meals for under $40 after tax and 20% tip.  An under $40 meal at a sit down restaurant for a family of 4?  That's hard to find these days!

How to turn this into science?  Hmmm.  Science is all about asking questions, so here's a question.  How do you make a pork tenderloin this big and this delicious???  :-)